What glory! The mercury hit 16 degrees in Deerness this afternoon...nearly as warm as it was last week in Sorrento. Drawn by the irresistible elixir of sunshine and surf, I took Magnolia and Teddy for a walk at Newark Beach. A curious 'selkie' (Orcadian for seal) joined us, following about fifteen yards out, bobbing up and down with the undulating waves. He made the most of the crests, comically craning his neck to get a clearer view of his human and canine companions. I smiled, perhaps for the first time today.
Photo: Andrew Balerud You might have noticed, it has been awhile since I posted my last blog. For weeks succeeded in distracting myself from the absurdly disturbing realities of life in 2016. Beachcombing, cooking, crocheting...even cleaning have proved effective diversions! It is much more comfortable living in willful ignorance! The idyllic illusion of normalcy inevitably evaporates though. Always a 'watchman', I cannot slumber for long...
Last week Henry and I had the somber privilege of visiting Pompeii. I am still processing.
Pompeii was first settled in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, late in the 7th century BC. It was inhabited by Etruscans, Greeks, and the indigenous people of Campania ('fertile plain'), now Italy. As we spent the day explored the ruins, it was easy to envision a bustling city, full of life!
Pizza anyone? This is one of 89 'thermopolium', (small cook shops) which remain. Yes, that is a pizza oven! Evidently most of the citizens of Pompeii preferred to dine out, rather than prepare their own meals at home. Sound familiar? These were a prosperous people! They enjoyed a number of elegant public baths (we would call them spas), embellished with elaborate mosaics and relief sculpture. An overtly sensuous society as well, Naples houses a museum devoted entirely to the display of erotic (pornographic) images which have been removed from the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
 Interior of the Forum Baths | Sport and entertainment played a huge role in the life of Pompeii. There were two amphitheaters which are among the oldest known in the Roman world. Built around 70 BC, the larger one held an audience of 20,000!  |
These were not primitive, uneducated people. They were as bright and sophisticated as anyone we meet on the street today (perhaps more so). Despite a massive earthquake several years earlier and signs that Mount Vesuvius was awakening from slumber, many of the citizens of Pompeii ignored the warning signs. On August 24, 79 AD they lost their lives in a matter of minutes, overcome by a torrential flow of superheated gasses and subsequently buried beneath eighteen feet of volcanic ash.
So complete was the decimation, that the city vanished, forgotten, until its rediscovery at the end of the 16th century.
So complete was the decimation, that the city vanished, forgotten, until its rediscovery at the end of the 16th century.
A Painful Reminder Grandmothers and grandfathers, moms and dads, children and their pets perished, memorialized only by stony semblances buried in the cinders. Why did they remain??? How could they have ignored the ominous warning signs?
I can only speculate! Life was good...peaceful and prosperous. The scenery was stunning, the climate mild, and the soil fertile. Day to day life kept them busy and distracted. They assumed life would continue as it always had. Ignoring the sense of foreboding rising from within, they disciplined themselves to disregard the alarming signals that could have saved their lives. They adjusted to 'the new normal.' A few heeded the warnings, escaping just in time. Most however, managed to remain oblivious until unimaginable disaster literally rained down upon them.
I can only speculate! Life was good...peaceful and prosperous. The scenery was stunning, the climate mild, and the soil fertile. Day to day life kept them busy and distracted. They assumed life would continue as it always had. Ignoring the sense of foreboding rising from within, they disciplined themselves to disregard the alarming signals that could have saved their lives. They adjusted to 'the new normal.' A few heeded the warnings, escaping just in time. Most however, managed to remain oblivious until unimaginable disaster literally rained down upon them.
Are we succumbing to the danger of distraction? Have we learned to ignore the warning signs, which are increasing in number and frequency, shutting off our God-given alarm system? Are we guilty of adjusting to 'the new normal', assuming life will continue as it always has?
Spend a few minutes reflecting, reminiscing. Recall life in America ten years ago...We have been cooked like the proverbial frog, my friends. It is time to awaken from slumber:
"Be on guard, keep awake...stay awake...stay awake...
And what I say to you I say to all: STAY AWAKE!"
(Mark 13:33-36)
DO NOT BE A VICTIM OF DISTRACTION,
But seek Lord with your whole heart. Discern His specific direction for your life.
It is time to face the truth of our times head-on, not in fear, but in FAITH.
It is time to step foot in the waters of the Jordan,
trusting the Lord to make a way where there is no way.
"Be on guard, keep awake...stay awake...stay awake...
And what I say to you I say to all: STAY AWAKE!"
(Mark 13:33-36)
DO NOT BE A VICTIM OF DISTRACTION,
But seek Lord with your whole heart. Discern His specific direction for your life.
It is time to face the truth of our times head-on, not in fear, but in FAITH.
It is time to step foot in the waters of the Jordan,
trusting the Lord to make a way where there is no way.
"For He is the living God, enduring forever;
His Kingdom shall never be destroyed,
And His dominion shall be to the end.
He delivers and rescues;
He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.
He who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions."
(Daniel 6:26-27)
Soli Deo Gloria
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