Fireside Chat: On Giving

A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.

-      Winston Churchill

You give little when you give away possessions; when you give of yourself, you are genuinely charitable. What are your controls worth? Why do you horde for fear you may need them tomorrow, the following day, the next fortnight? What is worth wanting but the desire of need in itself? Some men give little of the much they have, and they give it for recognition, and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome. It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked. We are blessed with joy, thankfulness, and compassion when we give not of malice. All you have shall one day be shared, so why not give now while giving may be yours instead of your inheritor? As it is written in the 1st chapter of James: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Remember that God rests in reason and moves in passion. Therefore, give of yourself today, asking for nothing in return, so that your love will drive the Father into your favor, blessing you par Dieu.

Antigone by Sophocles

This is the only one on the list for those who loathe plays. As a fellow loather of plays, I understand that they tend to be mundane in their approach, and it is difficult to imagine characters in this context. Even some of Shakespeare's plays tend to make the reader feel a sense of Meliora. However, Sophocles manages to do something that most playwrights of today are incapable of: keeping the reader's attention and providing many moving themes within a short story.

Before the beginning of the play, the brothers Eteocles and Polynices lead opposite sides in Thebes' civil war and die fighting each other for the throne. Creon, the new ruler of Thebes, has decided that Eteocles will be honored and Polynices will be in public shame. Furthermore, the rebel brother's body will not be sanctified by holy rites. Rather, he will lie unburied on the battlefield, the harshest punishment at the time.

The sentry explains that the guards uncovered Polynices' body and then caught Antigone as she did the funeral rituals. After sending the sentry away, Creon questions her, and she does not deny what she has done. Instead, she argues unflinchingly with Creon about the immorality of the edict and the morality of her actions. Creon becomes furious and, seeing Ismene upset, thinks she must have known of Antigone's plan. He summons her. Ismene tries to confess falsely to the crime, wishing to die alongside her sister, but Antigone will not have it. Creon orders that the two women be imprisoned.

Creon decides to spare Ismene and bury Antigone alive in a cave. By not killing her directly, he hopes to pay minimal respects to the gods. Again, she is brought out of the house, and this time, she is sorrowful instead of defiant. She expresses her regrets about not marrying and dying to follow the laws of the gods. Finally, she is taken away to her living tomb.

Tiresias, the blind prophet, enters. Tiresias warns Creon that Polynices should now be urgently buried because the gods are displeased, refusing to accept sacrifices or prayers from Thebes. However, Creon accuses Tiresias of being corrupt. Tiresias responds that Creon will lose "a son of [his] own loins"[3] for the crimes of leaving Polynices unburied and putting Antigone into the earth. Tiresias also prophesies that all of Greece will despise Creon and that the sacrificial offerings of Thebes will not be accepted by the gods. The leader of the Chorus, terrified, asks Creon to take Tiresias' advice to free Antigone and bury Polynices. Creon assents, leaving with a retinue of men.

Creon enters, carrying Haemon's body. He understands that his actions have caused these events and blames himself. A second messenger arrives to tell Creon and the Chorus that Eurydice has also killed herself. With her last breath, she cursed her husband for the deaths of her sons, Haemon and Megareus. Creon blames himself for everything that has happened, and, a broken man, he asks his servants to help him inside. The order he valued so much has been protected, and he is still the king, but he has acted against the gods and lost his children and wife. After Creon condemns himself, the leader of the Chorus closes by saying that although the gods punish the proud, punishment brings wisdom.

Civil Disobedience

The contrasting views of Creon and Antigone about laws higher than those of the state inform their different conclusions about civil disobedience. Creon demands obedience to the law above all else, right or wrong. He says, "there is nothing worse than disobedience to authority" (An. 671). Antigone responds with the idea that state law is not absolute and that it can be broken in civil disobedience in extreme cases, such as honoring the gods, whose rule and authority outweigh Creon's.

Fidelity

Antigone's determination to bury Polynices arises from a desire to bring honor to her family and honor the gods' higher law. She repeatedly declares that she must act to please "those that are dead" (An. 77) because they hold more weight than any ruler. That is the weight of divine law. In the opening scene, she emotionally appeals to her sister Ismene saying that they must protect their brother out of sisterly love, even if he did betray their state. Antigone believes that there are rights that are inalienable because they come from the highest authority, or authority itself, that is, the divine law.

Love for Family

Antigone's love for family is shown when she buries her brother, Polynices. Haemon was deeply in love with his cousin and fiancée Antigone, and he killed himself in grief when he found out that his beloved Antigone had hanged herself.

Estimated Reading Time: 43 minutes

Fireside Chat: Deep Work

You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

-      Marcus Aurelius

The modern era adores those who can multitask. If a man can balance multiple roles, he is seen as quite a valuable employee. If a man holds his own with his superiors, subordinates, and equals, he is seen as respectable by everyone he knows. If a man manages to make his mark in multiple disciplines, he is ordained with the title of genius. However, as the demand for multitasking is on the rise, fewer men can delve into deep work. Instead of mastering one skill, men are often pushed into multiple fields, with numerous subjects, becoming a master of none and mediocre in all. When we realize workers devoted to mastering a singular skill are lacking, where is the call for more masters of their field? As it is written in the 12th chapter of Proverbs: “He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.” All things have two handles; we must beware of the wrong one. In fact, without both handles of industry, we risk destroying the workforce, pollice verso! Deep work is equally necessary within the confines of this society, and it is needed more and more every day.

The Apology by Plato

"Men of Athens, I honor and love you; but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy... Understand that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times."

The Apology begins with Socrates facing the jury of 500 Athenian men while he faces the charges of corrupting the city's youth. Lycon, Anytus, and Meletus accused Socrates of debasing the young through his atheism, his ignorance through proclaiming he is the wisest man amongst them, his concept of death, his precedence of authority, and his rhetoric, in general. Socrates declares in his defense that philosophy begins with the admission of ignorance. Socrates later clarifies that point of philosophy when he says that whatever wisdom he possesses comes from knowing that he knows nothing.

During the trial, Socrates imitates, parodies, and corrects the Orators and his accusers and asks the jury to judge him by the truth of his statements, not by his oratorical skill. Socrates says he will not use sophisticated language but will speak using the common idiom of the Greek language. Socrates says he will talk in the manner he has used in the agora and at the money tables, which he states is his native tongue and the fashion of his country. Although offered the opportunity to appease the jury's prejudices, with a minimal concession to the charges of corruption and impiety, Socrates does not yield his integrity to avoid the death penalty. For doing so, the jury condemns Socrates to death.

Socrates demonstrates his unyielding faith in the Pantheon of the gods, the higher authority, and not to the will of the mob of protestors who desire his death. In doing so, Socrates points out several issues that men today struggle to deal with. First, the problem with an absolute system of democracy. Second, by whose authority should a man bend his knee? Finally, are a man's principles worth his life?

Socrates is condemned to death by 280 of the 220 citizens of Athens. This would mean, despite a 12 percent margin, Socrates is still sentenced to death. This is the perfect example of two wolves and a sheep asking what's for dinner!

Socrates does acknowledge the power of the government of Athens, but he believes he must bend to the higher authority before the world of men.

Socrates declares that a man who is not willing to commit to his principles, even when death is on the line, has already died before he has been committed to the grave.

Estimated Reading Time: 48 min.

Fireside Chat: The Gift of Self-Reliance

The man who is not self-reliant is weak, hesitating, and doubting in all he does.[1]

Life is an individual problem that man must solve for himself; he does this through self-reliance. Self-confidence may allow someone to see the individual's possibilities, but self-reliance will enable him to realize those possibilities. Self-reliance allows a man to seek constantly to surpass himself, moving on a uniform line of progress, ultimately granting himself the daring necessary to stand alone. Self-reliance strengthens a man's ability to judge himself not through competition with others but rather to improve his ability. He does not rely on others but grants his dependency on himself, acting for his intentions and purposes. His agency increases the more he abandons measuring himself compared to the ability of others. The man who does not live in the shadow of someone else's greatness will be a constant source of strength to others as he becomes to others a living lesson of the dignity of self-reliance.

[1] William George Jordan, The Secrets to Power, Mastery, and Truth (Semper Virilis Publishing, 2019), 34.

The Gospel of St. Luke

'No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:43-45

I understand that there will be some people who are not religious. However, no one can fully understand the Western World and its culture without a rudimentary knowledge of Christianity. Like it or not, when it comes to the most remarkable books, movies, and plays that have ever been written in the Western World, no one can deny the influence of the Gospels. From apparent sources like Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ to more obscure works like Toni Morrison's Home, along with everything in between, all of them have some canonical connection to Jesus and the Christian Church. Even in Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, a vehemently Atheist work, the author refers not to Allah or Bhrama but to the God of the Israelites and Christendom. Even Westerners' unbelief models their Atheism through the lens of Jesus.

There are many reasons that I recommend St. Luke's Gospel. First, it is the most complete of the 4 Gospels; in a way, it is the most "modern" of them, containing all of the miracles that most of us are familiar with. Second, St. Luke's Gospel includes the ancestors of Jesus directly back to God himself,[1] The Parable of the Sower,[2] The Calming of a Storm,[3] and the Ascension of Jesus.[4] It would be highly recommended to, at some point, read the other Gospels, as there is much context added by doing so. However, if you just read St. Luke's Gospel, you will have a greater understanding of the Christian religion, allowing added context to the Western World.

When you are picking a version to read for the first time, I would not recommend the King James Version. The reason for this is that to be frank, the Elizabethan spelling and phrasing can be confusing to people. However, I urge you to read it at some point because nothing is like the King James Version. Not to mention, should you attend a Baptist church, the chances are that the pastor will be reading from a King James Bible.

I recommend the New Living Translation (NLT) or the New International Version (NIV) for your first reading. These two versions are the most common outside of King James, and though they lack the majesty and beauty of the King James Bible, they offer the reader a modern phrasing that makes the scriptures easier to read.

However, I would not be a good Catholic if I did not include the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), a popular translation of the Catholic Church.

Estimated Reading Time: 1 hr. 43 min.

[1] The Gospel According to St. Luke, 3:23-37.

[2] Ibid, 8:4-19.

[3] Ibid, 22-39.

[4] Ibid, 24:50-53.

Fireside Chat: Parenting

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.[1]

As much as parents would like to be, they are not entirely in control of their children. A parent ideally does what he can to guide his son, leading him to have a better life than the Father lived. A parent attempts to provide the best education, quality of life, and love to ensure their children are cared for. A parent offers an excellent example for his son, so he will hopefully learn to do the same for his children. However, much like the arrow and bow, only one of these factors is entirely in the parent’s control. He may aim his son towards a good life, but the wind, rain, and trees of life can and will impact that shot. Children choose whether or not to take actionable advice from their parents, and should they fail to go their own way, parents should not blame themselves for it. Parents must realize they are not raising oysters; an oyster never makes a mistake because it has not the mind that would permit it to forsake an instinct. Parents must decide what they want their children to be, and children must decide whether or not to take advice from their elders.

[1] Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2018), 18.

Bits & Pieces

One of my favorite things that some of my fellow authors do is offer a weekly roundup of links to books and stories they’ve discovered and recommended. So this year, I thought I’d try doing that myself. Unfortunately, I often read books that aren’t a good fit for posts or cool things I come across that won’t fit in an article I think followers might enjoy. So this weekly feature will give me a chance to share those “Bits & Pieces” with you guys. I hope you enjoy it.

Book I am currently reading: The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill

This first in a four-part series has been celebrated for generations as THE definitive history which the series is named after: The History of the English-Speaking Peoples. Churchill would often dictate his books to clerks, who would type his words and give to him in the mornings for editing and proofreading. Often, he would do this work, along with answering letters and writing speeches, in the bathtub! If you’ve heard Churchill speak and like the diction he uses, then you will love this book. I cannot pick the book up without hearing his definitively English accent in my head as I do so!

Film of the Week: “The Great Escape”

It’s Steve McQueen at his finest, escaping a POW camp during WWII.

Verse of the Week:

Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Galatians 4:16

Article I’m Pondering Over: Why Men Kill Themselves

Definitely not something to read to your children (if they’re young) but is something worth looking into.

Quote That I Found Interesting:

“Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.” Bhagavid Gita 3.16

An Introduction to the Western World

Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.

-           Jim Rohn

When it comes to the educational system in the United States, it would be safe to say that it is lacking, at best. Parents want children to grow up with an acute perception of the world around them, with a worldview that allows them to become productive members of society. Therefore, parents desire their children to have an educational system that teaches reading, writing, and arithmetic. Parents place their precious children into the hands of teachers with the hope that their progenies will obtain an education better than they did. However, instead of moving onward, it seems that the wisdom of the ancients has been erased mala fide. Instead of an upsurge in reading comprehension, it has dwindled over time. In place of history courses, there are revisionist rags like The 1619 Project, Gender Queer, and Marxism has been disguised as "equity." If you have been in a public school for 20 years, you have been forsook by a system that has forgotten the majesty of what made the Western World what it was. The reason for this is simple: both demons and men are willing to commit atrocities for their profit. The atrocity committed here is children's divorce from God, logic, and rationality. In this dark time, I offer a resource that will hopefully save the educational souls of those robbed of a reputable education.

Over the next 12 weeks, I will introduce a book pivotal to a deeper understanding of the Western World. The longest of these books (depending on which version you get) is a little over 400 pages. The shortest of these books will be 13 pages. Since the average reading speed of Americans is approximately 200 to 250 words per minute, with each of the books, I will include an average reading time at the end of the article based on this equation:

Words in book / 250 = Minutes needed to read / 60 = hours needed to complete

For example:

 The Hobbit – 95,022

95,022 / 250 = 380.088 minutes needed to read / 60 = 6.34 hours needed to complete (none of them will be this long, don't worry!)

Hopefully, after this literary journey, you will have a greater depth of knowledge and appreciation of the giants whose shoulders our civilization stands upon.

Stay tuned!

Fireside Chat: Posessions and Our Attachments

We tend to hold our possessions in high esteem. It is natural for us to do so, as we have worked to afford them. It is only conventional for our house, car, and phones to be held in high regard in our daily lives. Therefore, it is routine to feel a loss of these possessions when they are broken or lost. However, instead of sulking over their loss, we must accept that it is also natural that possessions are fluid, and not every situation is inside our control. Losing possessions, inheritance, and even family members are no excuse to drag oneself into a well of despair. Grief becomes bearable when we understand that we are responsible for how we interpret loss. Man must remind himself that guarding himself and his possessions against harm is unachievable and that impossibilities inevitably become nightmares. To diminish the world’s power over his psyche, a man must ensure that he reminds himself that loss is natural. It is a natural action from the world and is thus outside his control.