St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491 - July 31, 1556) has had a continual influence on the spirituality of the Church (Catholic as well as Protestant) primarily through his writings and the society he helped found, the Society of Jesus. He was born of noble birth in the castle of Loyola in the north of Spain. As a youth he lived a life of privilege as an attendant of the court serving Juan Velásquez de Cuellar, contador mayor to Ferdinand and Isabella. In this respected position Ignatius seems to have fallen into more carnal pursuits that so often go along with any political enterprise. After Velásquez's death, the young Ignatius moved into military service. After some time in the army, a French cannon ball rips through his legs removing a chunk from one and snapping the other. During his long convalescence, Ignatius finds himself short of his usual reading material of knights and fair maidens and is forced to read books on the life of Christ and the saints. Ignatius becomes fascinated with these stories, his imagination takes over and he sees himself outdoing the saints in their holy pursuits. While laying awake one night he realizes the emptiness of his former pursuits of glory and sees immense worth and satisfaction in attempting to outdo the saints. Later, Ignatius visits the sanctuary of Montserrat, hangs up his sword and dagger before the altar, gives away all his rich clothes to the poor and puts on sackcloth. Ignatius starts the life of penance, self-denial and self-sacrifice that he would live by for the rest of his live.

St. Ignatius plays an important part in something called the Counter-Reformation. The Counter-Reformation is a little known period of the Catholic Church where there was, in response to the Protestant Reformation, a time of great revival and reform. Ignatius' shrugging of material excess stands in contrast to many who abused the Church before him, but it was ultimately his pursuit of God that makes him stand out as important. What we Protestants should see in Saint Ignatius is that during the great spiritual awakening that is the Reformation there was a concurrent awakening amongst Catholics.

St. Ignatius' famous work Spiritual Exercises is available for free on the CCEL website.

Images and Words

In J.I. Packer's book Knowing God he talks a bit about the second commandment and how this commandment speaks against all images of God. "Images dishonour God, for they obscure His glory (40)." He means to say that not just images of other gods are wrong, but that the expression of God in the form of an image is wrong. The truth of this is obvious from the start. How could a picture express the fullness of the glory of God? It is much like how words fail to express their images of theological truths falling much short of the immensity of God. Wouldn't this also mean that words are a problem?

Imagine a book on the glory of God. The very first chapter of this book starts with the statement, "God is glorious" and goes on to expound on this subject. The first proof is the most obvious, God is creator. The majesty of mountains, the grandeur of the heavens, the complexity of cells and the beauties of science all express in wonderful simplicity the glory of God in creation. The next proof is that God's love is glorious. The writer then expounds on the subjects of justification, sanctification and adoption. Next, he moves to God's longevity, power and knowledge. He describes in intimate detail all these subjects, he quotes every word ever spoken by church fathers and theologians on the subject and brings thought and reason together to provide the reader with the most complete definition on the subject ever written. But, at the very end of the book, in conclusion of all this work, the writer could only end with this: "God is glorious." The writer's lengthy paragraphs, exquisite explanations and precise descriptions always carry with them the essence of futility.

Such a great book does not share glory with God and will always fall short of what glory really means. However, it is with this understanding that we read such books with awe. The God so wonderfully described exceeds words and our imagination's rendering of them. It is in this enamored stupor that we get a taste of what glory really is. Likewise, great art tells us not verbatim God's qualities, but inspires awe by telling us God is far more beautiful than anything we have ever seen.

We must be careful of the images we craft whether they be in language or art. If we say that what we have created is God then we have committed the sin of idolatry. This idea is very easily seen in bowing down to idols, but it is less clearly seen in words. In writing about glory if we say we have captured glory we have sinned. Therefore, in all our doings we must understand our limitations as humans and the inability to express adequately the glory of God.

Love Wins

A lot has been written about Rob Bell's new book pointing out its errors and providing the truth that stands against it. There are a lot of problems with the book, but I think sitting down and going through all those problems would be a waste of time. The book is not a work of theology and I don't think it was written to make any kind of solid pronouncements about hell. I believe this book was written to make people think.

I found while reading the book that Bell's arguments for hell were accepting of a variety of different views on the subject. I thought some passages were somewhat pluralistic or possibly espoused some kind of purgatory or were vaguely traditional. It is because of Bell's lack of definitiveness that I am frustrated just thinking about this book. At the end of the day, I really don't care about Rob Bell's views on hell because they are either nonexistent or too imprecise. However, with this said, Bell's book is still provocative. What this book does well is ask questions.

Rob Bell is a pastor of a large church in Michigan and I think much of what he says resonates with the emergent movement and many within the church today. I think we can take this book as a statement that the church today doesn't really understand hell and that it is looking for answers. The energy that this book has created can be seen as a good thing. It is good that we are taking about what happens to ourselves when we die.

There are a lot of exegetical and logical fallacies throughout this book and I'm sure you could find nice tidy lists of them if you Google hard enough. I don't want to go into that much detail. However, I do think it is good exercise to read a book while arguing with it. I think one of the lasting impressions I have of the book is that we don't really know exactly what it takes for a person to be saved. I think this is a good question to take away from the book and carry with you as you read though the scriptures.

Love Wins. I find this an incredibly beautiful idea. At the end of all things God's great loves shines out and conquers everything with its might. Bell makes love the only attribute of God and forgets about such things as justice and righteousness which becomes a problem when we consider the simpleness of God. If God is love and God is righteous these attributes of God can not be smaller parts of the whole excluding one another. If God is love the same God must also be righteous. This is all to say that God's attributes are all interrelated so that a righteous act of God is a loving act. God's love, therefore, can not be divorced from God's righteousness or justice. The "love wins" idea in this book is one that seems to save everybody regardless of the atonement of Christ. This would deny the justice of God. Love wins is a beautiful idea but only in light of the God who is just and the justifier of our sins.

Personally, I don't think this book is worth reading because there are much better books on hell out there. Several years ago a book called Hell Under Fire was published containing a collection of essays on different aspects of hell by top theologians. Also, there are new books that have been written in response to Love Wins and Justin Taylor on his blog talks about some of them.

Kevin DeYoung's lengthy review of the book:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/03/14/rob-bell-love-wins-review/

She Walks in Beauty: a response to Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like nothing

E'er spoken but lisp'd and stuttered;

Volumes gathered to her being

Are no more than pages tattered;

One Word so eloquently stings

to say all that really mattered.

A word the more betrays the thought

To say less with such impurity;

Beauty like this for ages sought

Was found not for such depravity;

Yet in grace was it for her bought

By heaven's magnanimity.

And on her cheek, to marrow's core,

Great and greatness are to me told;

Seen within her is heaven's door

Wide open, spewing heaven's hold;

Worn is a smile bidding more,

Breaking through to the darkest cold.

Father, I pray that you would break my back before my feet are ever quieted. I pray that as the burdens grow so too would the sound of heavier and heavier footsteps. Let my burdens never retain me. Let my feet never fail. Lord keep me and press me on.

Polycarp

Polycarp was one of the Christian church's first martyrs and when Roman soldiers took him to be nailed to the stake he was to be burned on, Polycarp said this in response: "Leave me as I am. For he who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved, without the security you desire from nails."

Lamentations

This afternoon, I read through the book of Lamentations and I found it interesting how something so stark and depressing could contain such beauty as this book does. The book is about how Israel has been bad and how God is going to destroy them for that. The book goes on and on about how dire the situation is for Israel. Israel will groan, weep and be consumed. But this book is contrasted with something as we see in chapter 3 verse 22, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end." It's such a cutting contrast that it should change the whole tenor of the book for us. The nation written to were lamenting their fate, cursing their sins, awaiting wrath while holding onto a future hope, but for us as Christians that future hope has arrived. The story of Lamentations covers a period of several centuries. However, today we look back on this history and see it in an instant. As Christians we should see the wrath meant for us and the grace that let it pass over us.

Should vengeance still my soul pursue,
Death and destruction are my due;
Yet mercy can my guilt forgive,
And bid this dying sinner live.

What is the Bible About?

Timothy Keller answering the question, "What is the Bible basically about?" The Bible is not about us, it's about Jesus. Jesus is the new Adam, the better Abraham and the true and better David. When we read the Bible we shouldn't read it thinking that we should be like David slaying Goliath, but that Christ has slain even greater enemies.





Found here:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2010/08/23/what-is-the-bible-basically-about/

The Importance of Theology

On January 7, 1855 Charles Spurgeon opened his New Park Street Chapel sermon with this:

It has been said that “the proper study of mankind is man.” I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God’s elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.

There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects we can grapple with; in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought, “Behold I am wise.” But when we come to this master science, finding that our plumbline cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass’s colt; and with solemn exclamation, “I am but of yesterday, and know nothing.” No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God....

But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe.... The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.

And, while humbling and expanding, this subject is eminently consolatory. Oh, there is, in contemplating Christ, a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore.

Would you lose your sorrow? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead’s deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead. It is to that subject that I invite you this morning.

Excerpted from J.I. Packer's Knowing God.

Things Which Grace May Tender

I think of her lovely face

Given to such lovely grace;

The things through her taught

And things in her sought;

The joy of her smile

Which holds me all the while.

I fear her and wonder

At things which grace may tender.

To be hers and she mine

Is a dream found in divine.

My life not even I possess,

Hers owed to grace confessed.

I can only fall down in praise

Dreaming of those better days.

I think of a lovely face

Given me only by grace.

Fear

The "fear of the Lord" is sometimes used as a criticism of belief in God by saying that no self-respecting human being would subject himself to God in such an irrational and diminutive way. I feel that "fear" from the critic's perspective is different than that of the Christian's and that a better understanding of "fear" would bridge this gap in showing that it is rational, good and necessary for any worldview.

What is fear? Is fear anxiety or some sort of cautious felling toward an object of horror? Fear can be many things. For example, one could fear their toaster. They wake up in the morning, see it leering over the coffee cups and being startled, they run out of the room in fright. This kind of fear does exist, but it is not what I wish to discuss here. Taking the example of the toaster, what I want to talk about is something like this: A man wakes up in the morning, makes toast, toast gets stuck and man does not stick butter knife in toaster. This is something that we would almost never label as “fear,” but it does serve as an example for the “fear of God” idea. The fear of the Lord is not irrational or debilitative, it seeks to preserve the individual through a proper understanding of the thing feared.

Also, fear is a necessary component that holds together any worldview. Obviously in Christianity the fear of the Lord holds that system together in that it causes believers to abide by the law of God. In a secular humanist worldview like the one that created our countries foundational precepts of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” fear must also exist. One who holds these precepts dear must fear their destruction. In worldviews where family is of the utmost importance, parents must love their children and out of that love comes a fear of any interference in their ability to love their children. This fear is a fear which values good and causes one to think critically and rationally about that which might cause harm to that good.

John Calvin's Preface to Olivetan's French New Testament

"What then shall estrange and alienate us from this holy gospel? Shall injuries, curses, disgrace, and want of worldly honor? But, we know well that Jesus Christ has traveled the same road which we have to follow, if we would be his disciples; that we must not refuse to be despised, mocked humiliated, and rejected before men. For it is thus that we shall be honored, prized, glorified, and exalted in God's judgment. Will there be banishments, proscriptions, privation from goods and riches? But we know that if we shall be banished from one country, the whole earth is the Lord's, and if we be thrown out of the earth itself, nonetheless we shall not be outside of his kingdom. [We know] that when we are despoiled and impoverished, we have a father who is rich enough to nourish us; even that Jesus Christ was made poor, so that we might follow him in his poverty. Will there be afflictions, prisons, tortures, torments? But we know by the example of Jesus Christ that this is the way to arrive at glory. Finally, will there be death? But death does not do away with a life that is worth living."

Joyous Death

Strange though it may seem

With sin as a flowing stream

Persistent in its ways

You have chosen me in those days.

Oh the things to be grasped

Only to end in fingers rasped.

Good words to those goodly given

Something simple from heaven.

What is this I speak of?

A flighty thing from above?

No, this is here on earth

To give man his worth

And make him ever new

Giving him things not his due.

See that life in strange decay

Going about things in a strange way.

Life is gone, new life now here:

Joyous death without tear.

The Door

Some time ago I walked out of the cafeteria to go to class in the Yeager center and was prevented from entering that building by what resembled a corpse. There in front of a perfectly serviceable door stood a body blank and dead.

"My, how can this be?" I asked myself when I came upon her, "There, a breath? Why she's alive!"

Thank God, now for the door.

"Fair maiden, I prithee ope the door to yonder Yeager."

Not a sound nor a move.

"What is this vexation that holds you so?" My query was left unabated. "Oh deary me! I must get to class, but trouble seems to have a firm grip on this one here."

"Shut up!" She hissed in a way that can only be described as air rushing through her teeth, but only after they have sufficiently vibrated her vocal chords in a very stupid, abject sort of way.

"Fie, the curds have turned!" I said aghast, "The perceived damsel has revealed herself to be a witch with a bee in her bonnet."

This object, this pillar has come to life to prove herself stronger than objection. The tenacity of those legs which held firm to pavement proved to be stronger than my mind. I was overcome by the bewitchment and stupor pressed upon me. With pupils dilated and teeth clenched I fought my grim fate, but fell and spewed forth profanity. Others, hearing the words of my mouth, came around and asked of God to give me the strength to put away such language for it is the worst of all sins. By their prayers I was blessed and given the whitest of smiles and straightest of teeth to stand against this woesome foe. I surged ahead, determined to open the door. I forged onward against the social awkwardness and derision caused by this situation and opened the other door that was blocked by the witch who's aim was to prevent this doubled doored entrance to be used to its full potential. Victory was gained and Yeager was thus made able to accept people making their way out and people entering in at the same time.

This happens all the time at CBU.

Special Day

This is a paper I wrote for my freshman English class. The assignment was to write about some significant event in your life. I, of course, bent the rules a bit or did I...


It was a day just like any other day. Except on this particular day we needed to buy some stuff, stuff we were in desperate need of or at least kind of wanted.

My friends and I sat in our room as we debated which store to go to. After surveying all the options, we decided to go to a Target near by. We hopped in the car and our hearts were filled with joy just thinking about the delightful things we might buy.

We arrived at our destination and started to walk in. On the way, one of the guys said, "Hey look a shopping cart." We all laughed the whole way in. That's not where carts belong.

The store had everything someone could ever dream of, provided that they didn't have too much of an imagination. Cody, one of the gentlemen who went with me on this fabulous adventure, grabbed a shopping cart to hold all the amazing things which would later fill it.

One isle had cookies and soft-drinks and another had plates and cups presumably to hold the cookies and soft-drinks. Target had soda on sale so the two other guys stocked up on it. I, on the other hand, bought some Gatorade which wasn't on sale, but alas the money bags that I am bought it all the same.

After our soft-drink procurement we went in search of a fan for my room. We went all over the store in search of this exclusive item to no avail. Later we learned that the store no longer had fans in stock. However they had heaters, but seeing as how we wanted to cool our room down this was not an option.

The adventure continued as we searched for a power strip to plug electrical devices into. Our route to this purchase was a long and windy one. Other things were bought on the way. Like a pair of pants that were on sale for six dollars. At this incredible bargain we were overjoyed. Also, we stumbled upon huge plastic swords for Halloween. As we stopped and marveled at such a wonderful thing as a ridiculously large plastic sword for Halloween we couldn't help but wonder where in the world could the power strips be.

On down the isle with movies and through the one with funny smelling ointments, our prize sat woefully on the bottom shelf. Beneath more important items such as alarm clocks. As I began to ponder this truth of the world something shinny caught my eye and I put the now forgotten power provider into my basket. Thus is the epitaph for all things old: We checked out and put our hold into the car.

Married Slaves

Every Wednesday I go to a small group from my church where everyone who shows up is a part of a couple, I'm the only single guy there. My singleness made itself very clear one night when we were talking about Christians being slaves to Christ. We got on this topic by reading Titus 2:9 and then moved to Romans 6. We talked about all the usual things like how "slave" didn't have the connotation then as it does now and that this term applied to believers in Christ shows our submission to him as our master. In this discussion I thought about something that I found interesting. The bible talks about us being slaves to Christ, but it also talks about us being married to Christ. So, I spoke up in the discussion and said, "Being a slave and being married are kind of the same thing." People looked at me funny and laughed saying, "of course the single guy thought of that." In Christ the application these two ideas grapple with trying to explain our relationship with God.

One taken without the other tends to leave something out of the picture. When we think of ourselves as slaves of Christ we tend to view this relationship as something businesslike. We realize we have a large debt that we can not pay off ourselves so we go to Christ, who is like an owner of a large farm or ranch, and ask him to cover our debt if we sign over our lives to work for him. Like ranch hands, we get a place to sleep and food to eat so our needs are met by our boss. This is a wonderful picture of salvation and union with Christ, but I think it leaves one wanting of something more. With this picture we look to our sin and see how great the debt is that was removed. We marvel at Christ for removing this debt and allowing us to be free from it, but our focus is on the debt that was paid. This description realizes the work of Christ, but it stops a bit short of realizing the person of Christ. When a husband looks at his wife he is entranced by who she is. Her beauty and charm are what capture him. What man looks at his own faults and chooses a wife based upon how she can counteract those faults? Such thinking is all well and good, but a man chooses his wife based upon worth he sees within her. Couples love each other based upon worth and beauty they see in their partner that can not be found in anyone else.

These two pictures should be taken together. We are married to Christ and we are slaves to Christ. Our contract with him to remove our sin is more than a promise to work for him, it is also a covenant which promises to love and be loved by him.

Uncle Lenny to Grandma and Grampa

August 3, 1945

36^th Oighter Cont. Sgdn.

A. P. O. 271, C/O P.M, N.Y., N.Y.

Dear Edith + Harry

Thanks a lot for the two Airmail letters received yesterday. I had pretty good luck on that mail call and also got a letter + AV-mail from Ma, 2 letters from Agnes, some church bulletins, a letter from the National Lutheran Council, A Mid. Mess. (5 months old, March 2), and a letter from Carnegie Steel.

The letters from Carnegie Steel Contained a booklet explaining the method of reemployment of former employees now in service. It also contained a questionaire inquiring if the party wished to return to the same job. I stated that I was going to school but might possibly seek a part time job during vacations.

Sorry the package has been causing you so much trouble. You'd think your friend the postmistress would overlook a mere 3/4lbs. Also sorry you had to take out the pork + beans. The boys in the last war complained about them but I would be very happy to see a few good old American beans. Hope you finally got it sent off all right. I certainly appreciate it especially when I realize those things are also very scarce for you. It means very much to us. For instance one of the boys gave me a bit of Campbell's Soup for the noon meal. Otherwise, my stomach would have been misserably empty. The regular food was, for the most part not worth eating. A few of the boys who get packages by the dozens live largely off of canned stuff + dry food. I wont be asking you for another package for a long time now. No, it certainly will not get here for my birthday. I hope I will get it in 2 or 3 months in good shape. Thanks a lot for the package and for the birthday greetings.

Ma also said she was coming up to your place. She also mentioned the fact that Uncle John, Vernon, and Mrs. Jarson might come along. I sure hope you wont have to try to put all of them up for the night. I guess you only one spare bed room. Does your couch open up into a day bed like Ma's? If you get Irene + Ray up there you will really have quite a bunch.

Glad to hear the prospective mother is getting along very well. I guess it is a good idea to get exercise but on the other hand not over do it. How is the prospective father holding out? I believe you are being very sensible in not caring much whether it is a boy or a girl as long as it is a healthy and normal baby. I can imagine how inexperienced you would feel. A baby seems so delicate and complicated. Yet, I guess the basic principal is simple, feed them when they holler, change their 3 cornered parts regularly, and keep them warn and they are old enough to take care of themselves before you know. That's my guess about babies. That, of course, is all theoretical.

I'm glad your concience is so outspoken. Mine also has said “Is this trip necessary?” but I just go on ignoring it. Now, the trip that I would call most necessary is the one that will bring me back where I came from.

The masculine viewpoint was definitely lacking. Since when is talking of babies a masculine viewpoint? That is unless it is a boy baby and who knows?

Myself + all my buddies are all in good shape in spite of our minor complaints, such as food, or the current condition of the bowels. All in all, we are getting along very well.

I changed my insurance a few days ago to a new plan whereby the second beneficiary (that's you) would get more money in the event that the policy holder (that's me) and the 1^st beneficiary (that's Ma) should depart this world. However, I am not expecting to depart for years and years, so it makes very little difference actually. Still it is a slightly better plan in my case.

We have received no pay for June or July yet + don't know when we will get paid, so we will get quite a sum when we finally do collect. I'll probably get a few extra bucks in perchim also. Of course we hardly need the money anyway. I have about $5 American money and $5 worth of Chinese money and I could easily stretch that out over 6 months or so except for p.x. Rations. We pay varying from $3 to $5 for our monthly p.x. Rations. That's really all we need money in this place for actually. In larger cities one would have a much greater opportunity to spend money. I have few desires except for souvenirs and I've about exhausted this town's meagre stock of things that might pass for souvenirs. I would like to send home one of those large hats the coolies wear (little drawing of a hat). They are about a yard round and are made of straw. They are typical souvenirs but, I believe they are too big to send home.

We have not yet received an August P.X. Rations, everything has been moving very slowly recently.

Well in 4 more days I will have 6 month's overseas time in my favor. It will also mean that I can send home my “Cross the Equater” certificate and any other informations regarding our boat trip.

The day before yesterday we had another fish fry. It is wonderful to tastes something for a change that has flavor to it. Our regular chow tastes like a mouth full of cotton.

Recently we were given some information concerning the availability of radiograms for the China theatre personal. They are fixed text (that is picked from a list of a couple of hundred such as “Glad you are getting well. Good luck!” or “Happy birthday Sister” or something like that. They cost only 2 or 3 cents (40cn) They take only 24 to 48 hours to reach the states. So don't be alarmed if I sent one on somebody's birthday or some other occasion.

Anges writes some interesting letters, especially about the kids. Bod + Elmer went to Riverview Park (whether with or without permission, I don't know) and lost or spent their return carfare money. They tried walking all the way home. Soon Bob started bawling and the police took them in tow. Johny talked to Elmer over the phone and asked how he liked it there. He said, “not so hot.” Finally johny picked them up in the car. Also Jack got a job as dish washer, well not quite as dishwasher. He pushes a button to start the machine and then watches it to see that all goes well. All that for $1.50 a time, less deductions for hamburgers and other edibles.

Well, I reckon I'll sign off for now. Hope you are both in the best of health.

Len

Hear My prayer, O Lord,
and give ear to my cry;
hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
a guest, like all my fathers.
Look away from me, that I may smile again,
before I depart and am no more!

Psalm 39:12-13

There is hope

There is hope,
Dream not of death
For he will live tomorrow
And you will see his face.

His dwelling is known,
It has been told to you.
Think of that day when
You will fly on, beaming.

It is not done for you.
Selfish and terrible but
It was never about you.
He is God, you are not God.

Inescapable, inexplicable
Horror, terror, blameless slaughter,
For in his presence
Sin meets its death.

Dead but alive – I am.
Others have not mine,
Theirs now my duty.
Words carry more than meaning.

There is a hope
Founded in fear.
Trembling you must come
Broken by his call.

Fall and be crushed
Under the weight of his
Terrible beauty and
Surpassing goodness.

God has come to
Steal for himself those
Who by sleep have taken
Themselves from their start.

Bad made good.
Good made good in him.
Find the perfect,
Find your yes in him.

All That's Best of Dark and Bright

This is a paper written for Prof. Issacs English 201 class.


In the early 1800s, a banker named Douglas Kinaird suggested to two of his friends that they collaborate to produce a collection of songs which would later be called Hebrew Melodies. Lord Byron graciously accepted his friend's suggestion and gave Isaac Nathan, a young rabbinical student turned composer, the copyright to use the words he had written (Gordon 11). While Nathan's popularity faded away, the works of Byron are still widely read by student and admirer alike. From Don Juan to Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and to our own “She Walks in Beauty” it is easy to see within the stunning verse why these works survived. “She Walks in Beauty” presents the reader with a different conception of womanly pulchritude by comparing the woman admired with a dark and shimmering sky.

In June of 1814, there was festivity in London's air and Byron was taken against his will to Lady Sitwell's where he met his cousin by marriage, Mrs. Wilmot (Marchand 169). Byron stopped and wondered at her beauty which was made all the more apparent to him by the black mourning dress she was wearing. Byron was known as something of a Casanova, so it is unclear what all he did with his awe. What is known is that he went back to where he was staying in Albany, locked himself in a room and produced this poem by the next day (Gamber). The contrast between the dark dress and bright face made such an impression on Lord Byron that it still makes an impression on us today. What is interesting about this poem is that light does not overcome darkness, but the two work in harmony to bring out the beauty of each.

It is important to realize when interpreting the first line of this poem that it is an enjambment; meaning the first line should be taken with the second (Gamber). So, it is not that she comes over the room like a darkness which leaves those within to stagger around in ignorant blindness, but that she is like the stars revealing themselves in the absence of the sun. She is in mourning dress: the brilliance of the sun has left her and she is nonetheless beautiful. It would seem that the simple gown she is wearing enhances her radiance and does not detract from it. If one were to look up at the sky and watch the sun set, what would one see? That person would see the skies dim and the stars come out. It is because that one overpowering star has gone away that we are able to see the little stars in the sky. It is the same with Mrs. Wilmot. She is not in a beautiful evening gown nor is she decked out in her finest ball dress, but those loud adornments have been silenced allowing her inherent beauty to speak for itself.

“She walks in Beauty, like the night[...] (1)” There is something significant conveyed by the word “walk” in this opening line. The sun at daybreak appears in brilliance and glory, but the night comes in procession, creeping in at a stately pace. The image of Mrs. Wilmot resolves itself in the eyes of Lord Byron much like stars which slowly make their entrance into the night. This idea is picked up in line six with “Heaven to gaudy day denies.” The word “gaudy” is interesting in that it is a word which specifically criticizes appearance. All of those fancy dresses and frills that Lady Wilmot has worn have not added to hear beauty only distracted from it.

“[The] best of dark and bright / Meet[...] (3-4)” There are three possible interpretations of lines three and four that can be proposed. First, the writer of this poem has previously seen the lady in her brightness and now sees her in darkness (mourning). This meaning that he has seen her in day and now he sees her in night. The second two go together and support the simile presented in the first line. One, night has veiled beauty and twinkling stars making nighttime the best of both worlds. Two, these lines are using the previous idea to say that Lady Wilmot contains the best of both dark and light. In line nine the phrase “raven tress” tells the reader that the Lady has dark hair to match her dark dress. Dark and bright meet in Lady Wilmot in her beautifully dark hair and her beaming smile that wins (15).

“One shade the more, one ray the less, (7)” means that if the lighting were a bit dimmer or a bit brighter her grace would diminish. The lighting in the room seems to play an important role in Byron taking notice of Lady Wilmot. This idea can also be seen in line five were the Lady's aspect and eyes are “mellowed [by] that tender light.” The lighting is just so allowing little pinpricks to be picked up that might otherwise go unnoticed.

“Where thoughts serenely sweet express, / How pure, how dear their dwelling-place (11-12).” Now, the poem moves away from the physical beauty of Lady Wilmot to the charm of her mind and personality. The way the soft light shines on her and they way she shines out amidst darkness tells the writer that what is contained within must be alluring as well. Lines fourteen and fifteen give one an idea about how this woman is carrying herself at the party. Line fourteen says that Mrs. Wilmot is shy and reserved but still confident enough to move about amongst the guests at the party with grace. Fifteen informs the reader that people take to Mrs. Wilmot almost immediately because all she has to do to win someone over is smile at them.

“A mind at peace with all below (17),” proposes that the woman viewed is actually an angel from the heavens. This is certainly fitting with the rest of the poem. All the way through the poem this woman is described as one like the beauty to be found in the sky. The last line tells the reader that Mrs. Wilmot is pure and good, a thing which should be taken synonymously with beauty.

Byron turns a common poetical convention on its head by saying that it is not the fullness of one extreme that is the epitome of beauty. The brilliance of the noontime sun or the supreme darkness of night would only half express the beauty of Mrs. Wilmot (8). A beaming sun washes out a dark night with its twinkling stars and full darkness leaves one to one's thoughts. It takes the two combined to equal the weight of such prettiness.


Works Cited
Gamber, Garry. “Lord Byron's 'She Walks in Beauty.'” Ezine Articles June 2005. n. pag Fri. 19
Feb. 2010 .
Gordon, George. “She Walks in Beauty.” Byron's Poetry. Ed. Frank D. McConnell. New York:
Norton, 1978. 11.
Marchand, Leslie A. Byron: A Portrait. New York: Knopf, 1970.