Medieval Bestiary

My good friend Joel turned me on to the bestiary from this blog post about the beaver.
To me, there just is something honest, and interesting to me that I can not put my finger on coming from these medieval monks speaking of all manner of animals they never seen in their lives, and did not know about. Perhaps it is the reality that God's creation does point to a greater reality, and that the truth can often be stranger than fiction, I love watching my oldest son's interest grow in dinosaurs.

Below is an example from this resource.

Ants are said to have these characteristics: they walk in order like soldiers; they carry grains in their mouths, and an ant with no grain will not try to take the grain from one which has it; they break each grain in half to keep it from germinating when it rains, because if it does the ants will starve in the winter; when it is time to harvest the grain, they go into the fields and climb up to the grain, where they distinguish wheat from barley by its smell and reject the barley because it is food for cattle.

Some Physiologus versions and other texts tell of the gold-digging ants of Ethiopia, which are the size of dogs. These ants dig up gold from sand with their feet and guard it, chasing down and killing any who try to steal it. It is said that people safely steal the ant's gold by separating mares from their foals, with a river between them. The mares, carrying packs, are driven to the side of the river inhabited by the ants; the ants, seeing the packs as a good place to hide their gold, fill them with the golden sand. When the mares swim back to their foals on the other side of the river, the ants cannot follow.

Herodotus tells a similar story, but places the gold-digging ants in India (see below).


Allegory/Moral

The ants working together for the common good is to be taken as a lesson to men, who should work in unity.

The splitting of the grain represents the separation that must be made in the interpretation of the Bible, distinguishing the literal from the spiritual meaning, "lest the law interpreted literally should kill you". Some sources compare the ants to the Jews, who have taken the law literally and have "died of hunger".

The barley the ants reject signifies the heresy that Christians are to cast away.

Get to Know the Lollards

The name of Wycliffe's boys, depicted in the current title of the blog. What were they about? The voice of God to be heard in the language men of the land knew, (English Bible/old school reformission) , itinerant preacher's who took a vow of poverty and wandered the land proclaiming the reign of God (transcending the will of ecclesiastic and secular powers).

Here is wiki's article on lollardy.

EAT THIS BOOK

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification
Rev. Walter Marshall

"You are more sinful than you can imagine! The doctrine of Original Sin is true! You cannot reform your flesh! You cannot become a better person by your own strength no matter how hard you try! But cheer up! If you are a Christian, you have come into union with Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ you are forgiven. Through faith in Jesus Christ you are sanctified and made holy. Through Christ, you are a new creation! (2 Cor. 5:17) The Holy Spirit lives in you! Therefore, pursue the life of faith in Christ with all diligence."

More Kensington

"I became more and more Christian, and he became more and more Kensington you know?"

-from a conversation i recently had with a sweet older lady up at a bible college that exited to the burbs in the 70's, I recently talked to about her and her brother who passed away some time ago, who stayed in the neighborhood, became a drunk, while she moved further and further out of the city.

I will refrain for the moment from saying to much about this quote which reveals much lest i sin, but that it breaks my heart, that evangelical faith has whole heartily, and with abandon embraced and went into her side lover, the suburban middle class ethos.

May you Lord raise up a generation of very 'kensington' people who are very, very 'christian'!

ST PATTY

Ah, so much I could mention, coming from a Irish catholic background, being an evangelical and a Presbyterian which can tend to idealize Celtic Christianity. This is what I wanted to share instantly when I thought about it yesterday, and today as three guys from work went home for throwing up hung over.

From the Confession of St. Patrick

vs 50 "What is more, when I baptized so many thousands of people..."

This makes me think of Isaac Shaw in Northern India. I must admit, part of me wants to be very fruitful for the Lord, or just die. Yet I have worked so little and done so little for Him. God help us, may the spark turn to flame, and may we see the glory of the Lord rise upon us.

CT Image Blog

Check out Christianity today's image blog, I really like it.

Video Example of Work's of Mercy

Check out this great Church's website. There is a video here that really work's out what I mean practically, by means of grace in the works of mercy. A young man is rescued from spiritually shallow life of christian scenestering through mentoring, and another young man's life is radically transformed by a stable relationship through being mentored.