Sunday, September 09, 2012

Today with G. K. Chesterton - Postcard from Paradise

My new favorite writer.  I spend a lot of time in paradise when I read his works.  It doesn't matter if it is Fr. Brown Mysteries, Essays, Poems, Philosophy, Critiques, or Articles from the London Illustrated News.  Wherever I find Chesterton, he touches me, moves me, speaks to me.

“Naturally, therefore, these people talk about 'a happy time coming'; 'the paradise of the future'; 'mankind freed from the bondage of vice and the bondage of virtue', and so on. And so also the men of the inner circle speak — the sacred priesthood. They also speak to applauding crowds of the happiness of the future, and of mankind freed at last. But in their mouths" — and the policeman lowered his voice — "in their mouths these happy phrases have a horrible meaning. They are under no illusions; they are too intellectual to think that man upon this earth can ever be quite free of original sin and the struggle. And they mean death. When they say that mankind shall be free at last, they mean that mankind shall commit suicide. When they talk of a paradise without right or wrong, they mean the grave. They have but two objects, to destroy first humanity and then themselves. That is why they throw bombs instead of firing pistols. The innocent rank and file are disappointed because the bomb has not killed the king; but the high-priesthood are happy because it has killed somebody.”


― G.K. Chesterton, The Man Who Was Thursday

5 comments:

carol l mckenna said...

Great historical post ~ (A Creative Harbor)

rebecca said...

oh annie you are so right, one can always find paradise in a great read!
thanks for being here and sharing your love.

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Life has few pleasures greater than discovering an author who speaks to your soul!

Pepper Tree

Cheryl said...

I like Chesterton too.

Anonymous said...

Haven't read Chesterton in a long time. You've whetted my appetite.