Tony Grist (poliphilo) wrote,
Tony Grist
poliphilo

Immortal?

Google tells me that a quote from one of my Guardian articles (this one dated 1990) turns up in a popular handbook about (of all things) the Johannine literature. Wow, I'm a serious theologian, who'd have known?

I was writing about the Holy Spirit. I said the Holy Spirit is flames and a rushing mighty wind- and you might want to stand well clear. Yes, I wouldn't quarrel with that.

The Guardian has archived all its back issues online- which means the articles I wrote for it are there for anyone to read. There are quite a lot of them- documenting my progress from liberal Christianity to born-again Paganism. Not only am I a serious theologian, I'm immortal.

Only I'm not really. The self who wrote those pieces isn't me. He took himself more seriously and had a more extravagant, more laboured prose style (which he'd cribbed off G.K. Chesterton). I'm not sure I'd have much patience with him if we did that Tardis thing and I were to cross my own timeline. He'd probably find me frivolous.

Of course the current me isn't me either. He and I and a million others are moments in a continuum of 57 years and counting.   

"In my end is my beginning"? Maybe, maybe not- though I do find myself looping back to where I was when the journey charted in the Guardian began. For a while I could hardly write the word "God" without a sneer. Now I think it's as good a word as any for the unnameable and incomprehensible. 

It's fun to think and have opinions but we shouldn't kid ourselves that our thoughts and opinions are in any way important.
Subscribe

Recent Posts from This Journal

  • Narcissism.

    I got backed into a conversational corner yesterday by a bully who left me no way out but submission or confrontation. I hate to be rude and hate…

  • Heading North

    And tomorrow we'll be buzzing up to the Midlands for another funeral. Nice to have a car. Nice to be mobile again. We'll be handing over…

  • A Quaker Funeral

    Quaker funerals are rare events. Trish noticed that the undertakers, sitting at the back, seemed to be paying close attention- as if they too were…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    When you submit the form an invisible reCAPTCHA check will be performed.
    You must follow the Privacy Policy and Google Terms of use.
  • 16 comments

Recent Posts from This Journal

  • Narcissism.

    I got backed into a conversational corner yesterday by a bully who left me no way out but submission or confrontation. I hate to be rude and hate…

  • Heading North

    And tomorrow we'll be buzzing up to the Midlands for another funeral. Nice to have a car. Nice to be mobile again. We'll be handing over…

  • A Quaker Funeral

    Quaker funerals are rare events. Trish noticed that the undertakers, sitting at the back, seemed to be paying close attention- as if they too were…