I call upon You, Lord, God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob and Israel, You who are the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God who, through the abundance of your mercy, was well-pleased towards us so that we may know You, who made heaven and earth, who rules over all, You who are the one and the true God, above whom there is no other God; You who, by our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, give to every one who reads this writing to know You, that You alone are God, to be strengthened in You, and to avoid every heretical and godless and impious teaching.

St Irenaeus of Lyons, Against the Heresies 3:6:4


Thursday, August 2, 2012

CHESTERTON ON CHANGE


In light of the last presidential election and its watershed, which swung on the ideal of “change,” I think G. K. Chesterton’s analysis in Orthodoxy is timely…well, actually about four years too late.  Nevertheless, there is another election rapidly (and ravenously) coming upon us.  We’d do well to reflect on the last four years of “Change.”

“It is true that a man (a silly man) might make change itself his object or ideal.  But as an ideal, change itself becomes unchangeable.  If the change-worshipper wishes to estimate his own progress, he must be sternly loyal to the ideal of change; he must not begin to flirt gaily with the ideal of monotony.  Progress itself cannot progress…Change is about the narrowest and hardest groove that a man can get into” (parenthesis original, I promise).    

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