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Jack Ditch's avatar

Beautiful. I talk a lot about the "Living God" and this is such a wonderful testament to what that means.

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Julian Adorney's avatar

Thank you <3 That means a lot.

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Steersman's avatar

I'm reminded of a couplet from FitzGerald's translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:

Oh Thou, who Man of baser Earth didst make,

And who with Eden didst devise the Snake;

For all the Sin wherewith the Face of Man

Is blacken'd, Man's Forgiveness give—and take!

https://www.therubaiyatofomarkhayyam.com/rubaiyat-full-text/

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Julian Adorney's avatar

Oh interesting!

I haven't read the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, what in particular about those lines speaks to you?

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Steersman's avatar

Good question 🙂.

I had been thinking about the infamous "Problem of evil", something that has apparently exercised the best "minds" in theology from time immemorial ... so to speak:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil

But relative to the Khayyam quote, it's the last line that's the kicker: "Man's forgiveness give -- and take". Maybe have to read between the lines there, but I seem to recollect a related argument that, come Judgement Day, God -- Himself, or Herself, or Itself as the case may be -- should also be judged, and may, or may not, be entitled to some forgiveness from those created.

Kind of a reflective or recursive argument, but maybe a more tangible manifestation is another couplet:

For in the Market-place, one Dusk of Day,

I watch'd the Potter thumping his wet Clay:

And with its all obliterated Tongue

It murmur'd—"Gently, Brother, gently, pray!"

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