Monday, December 24, 2007

"In hoc anno Domini..."

On page A10 of today's WSJ: a lovely editorial that, although it has been reprinted every year since 1949, I have not noticed. I'm still trying to figure out why. Several noteworthy features of it include:
  • It was written in 1949! by Vermont Royster. Go figure. Must be classic.
  • The title is entirely in Latin. For you readers not familiar with Vicipaedia, I heartily recommend this surprisingly understandable Wikipedia site, entirely in Latin. The title of the editorial, for those confused, means "In this year of our Lord."
  • This editorial uses a multitude of Scriptural verses, phrases, and allusions generally not found in today's Bible-illiterate culture. I will excerpt as many of these as I notice. Feel free to comment on ones I missed.
And now come the verses.
  • "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." This, from Matthew 22:21, is quoted in contrast to the portrayal of Tiberius Caesar's rampant oppression, taxes, and so on.
  • "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Again, this quotation of Matthew 25:40 contrasts Christ's kingdom with Caesar's earthly one.
  • "So the light came into the world and the men who lived in darkness were afraid..." Here Royster takes John 1:5 and tweaks it to fit the theme of Caesar-versus-God.
  • "...the truth did set man free, although the men of darkness were offended and they tried to put out the light." In the following paragraph, Royster finishes the quote more properly.
  • "Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth." From John 12:35, and true in any situation.
  • ..."[men] would think only of what they should eat and what they should wear..." Here is the central problem of society, that of mankind forgetting God and pursuing material possessions. Based on Matthew 6:25.
  • "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Even in here, Galatians 5:1, I sense a wee bit of anti-governmentism, given the context of the entire article. Paul was most certainly not preaching rebellion to Caesar; as earlier, His kingdom is not of this world.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

John 8:32, "the truth will set you free"

Antonio G.