Fats, Vitamins and Minerals

A few days ago, I saw what is probably the most miserable film that I have ever seen in my entire life, Robert Bresson’s “Journal d’un curé de campagne (Diary of a Country Priest” (1951). (George Bernanos, author, “Journal d’un curé de campagne” (1936). And the amazing thing about it was that it actually cheered me up. (A few weeks ago, while being sick and miserable, I saw Jean Negulesco’s “Humoresque” (1946), and it made me feel even more miserable).

In the film, the atheist country doctor, Delbende, spoke to the priest of being part of a race of people who did not belong to the world. Between the atheist and the priest who both consequently depart the world (the former of alleged suicide and the latter of stomach cancer), they both did not belong to it although the priest witnessed grace in all.

Bresson said that there are no true atheists. Perhaps this is accurate - we are all simply believers of a sort. For Delbende, all that exists is that which can be seen; for the priest, even that which is unseen is grace. In perception, Delbende’s matter and the priest’s God form the basis for each one’s belief and conduct, and therefore the basis of the rules by which their actions are governed in relation to and in the creation of the society they live in.

In Karen Armstrong’s introduction to her book The Great Transformation, the Axial Age is described as that age of change wherein doctrinal questions of whether or not god exists or whether or not one believed in only one god were of little issue. Indeed, religion is everyday conduct of compassion, and not simply belief per se or detached rituals.

And in the moment of our final exit, it is highly possible that we contemplate the possibility of our redemption whether or not we believed in god: should I exit in grace or should I exit in existential angst.

Past few days have been heavily dreamy - dreamfull sleep, I mean. It is like being a child again, when everything was “imagination.”

Last Sunday, my partner and I visited Quezon Memorial Circle again, though rather late in the afternoon. We had Batangas coffee and a nice conversation with Desiree who co-runs one of the huts in the AANI Herbal Garden and Livelihood Center. It was 7PM when we finished.

I do hope that they soon finish the underpass to QMC from City Hall. Crossing Elliptical Road is always a moment to contemplate redemption!

EMail This Post This entry was posted by Fats on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 at 6:57 pm and is filed under Wika at Hirap > Media Watch. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.