Peggy Noonan on Humility and Charity
Peggy Noonan has challenged her readership: "Today I post thoughts blog-style. There is, however, a theme. Find it."
I would like to take a stab at identifying the theme that runs through Ms. Noonan's February 24 article I'll Link to That: Hunter Thompson, Larry Summers, Hillary, Condi and the Internet's patron saint. : It is a meditation on humility and charity, and on how the two seem to need each other. It is a meditation on each person's enactment of his or her vocation in their proper position before God in poverty of spirit, vis a vis the world, and a comparison of that saintliness with several modern day examples; the self-centered writings of a man whose cult of personality ended in failure, fatalism, and fatality; the parallelism between the worst of medieval dogmatism and the secular equivalent of it in academia; the adaptation and adoption of a Christian persona (mask) by a politician for political gain as opposed to the internal, uncalculated love expressed by St. Joseph Cupertino and the common folk who could discern a false voice from a true one; and a favorable comparison of the face of the USA shown to foreign governments by the Secretary of State in her subtle emphasis on principle over personality, (also in contrast to the politician). This is a strong and eloquent articulation of 'finding what matters' and being true to it, and of what it looks like when you miss it. It is said in faith; without faith it is found by the world to be foolishness.
She also seems to be saying that the Internet and blogging can give voice to the same spirit of peace and charity in humble service to God as that of her candidate for Patron Saint of the Internet, St. Joseph Cupertino. And she has placed love over encyclopedic knowledge (remembering the likelihood of the academic to prize intelligence over caritas, keeping her eye on the prize. Is it an accident that Ms. Noonan has written this piece at the same time the Pope has released his Apostolic Letter on the employment of technology in the Church's mission THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOLY FATHER JOHN PAUL II TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATIONS?
You may comment on Ms. Noonan's article at The Wall Street Journal, or, you may respond to my post by sending an email to me. Also, you may wish to read more on the Apostolic letter here.
I would like to take a stab at identifying the theme that runs through Ms. Noonan's February 24 article I'll Link to That: Hunter Thompson, Larry Summers, Hillary, Condi and the Internet's patron saint. : It is a meditation on humility and charity, and on how the two seem to need each other. It is a meditation on each person's enactment of his or her vocation in their proper position before God in poverty of spirit, vis a vis the world, and a comparison of that saintliness with several modern day examples; the self-centered writings of a man whose cult of personality ended in failure, fatalism, and fatality; the parallelism between the worst of medieval dogmatism and the secular equivalent of it in academia; the adaptation and adoption of a Christian persona (mask) by a politician for political gain as opposed to the internal, uncalculated love expressed by St. Joseph Cupertino and the common folk who could discern a false voice from a true one; and a favorable comparison of the face of the USA shown to foreign governments by the Secretary of State in her subtle emphasis on principle over personality, (also in contrast to the politician). This is a strong and eloquent articulation of 'finding what matters' and being true to it, and of what it looks like when you miss it. It is said in faith; without faith it is found by the world to be foolishness.
She also seems to be saying that the Internet and blogging can give voice to the same spirit of peace and charity in humble service to God as that of her candidate for Patron Saint of the Internet, St. Joseph Cupertino. And she has placed love over encyclopedic knowledge (remembering the likelihood of the academic to prize intelligence over caritas, keeping her eye on the prize. Is it an accident that Ms. Noonan has written this piece at the same time the Pope has released his Apostolic Letter on the employment of technology in the Church's mission THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOLY FATHER JOHN PAUL II TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATIONS?
You may comment on Ms. Noonan's article at The Wall Street Journal, or, you may respond to my post by sending an email to me. Also, you may wish to read more on the Apostolic letter here.
posted by erico at 10:11 PM
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