"O what stony, what adamantine hearts must we have, who can write, and read, and hear, and think of all these sufferings [of Jesus Christ] without being dissolved into sorrow, without melting into sighs and tears! When the history of Abel cruelly murdered by his brother Cain, or that of Joseph sold by his brethren, or that of David fleeing from Absalom, or that of a worthy martyr singing praises to Christ amidst horrible tortures, or when even a skillfully composed tragedy representing a scene of fictitious distress, is exhibited to our view, we sometimes feel ourselves so much affected that it is with difficulty we can restrain our tears. And shall we not be so moved by the unutterable agonies of Christ, our Brother, our Husband, our Lord and our God, -- agonies which, although perfectly innocent, he so cheerfully sustained on account of our sins, from a principle of unbounded love to our souls -- shall we not at least be so moved by these agonies, as sincerely to deplore them, and to burn with holy revenge against his enemies!

I do not require you, however, Christian, to be touched with that natural commiseration towards Christ, with which common humanity teaches us to regard the children of adversity. Christ himself forbade the daughters of Jerusalem to indulge in wailing and lamentation of that sort. And without doubt, it is far more unbecoming now, when, having emerged from all his distresses, and having perfected the work of our salvation, he enjoys his glorious reward in the highest heavens.

Nor would I have you to indulge your indignation against the Jews in the same way with Clovis, King of the Franks, of whom it is said, that when he had heard the Bishop of Rheims recite the history of our Lord's passion, he exclaimed; 'Had I been there with my Franks, I should soon have dispatched that impious rabble.' Divine justice inflicts sufficient punishment on that wretched nation, which, after so many myriads of them had been miserably slain, and after their land had been smitten with a curse, have wandered for so many ages, having no certain habitation, exiles from their own country, rejected by God and despised by men, enduring that wrath which comes upon them to the uttermost; until, when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, they also shall at last through Jesus obtain eternal salvation and happiness.

It is better, deeply to lament thy sins, by which thou wast the author and cause of all the agonies of Christ; such is the effect of the Spirit of grace. It is better, that contemplating in Christ as in a glass, the punishments due to thy transgressions, thou shouldst be filled with amazement, and confess that thou, even thou, deservest to be torn in soul as well as in body by the strokes of Divine justice; -- to be finally expelled, bearing thine own sin, from the society of the godly, whom thou hast so often offended by ill-advised words and deeds, and from the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the general assembly and church of the elect, whose names are written in heaven; -- to be divested of all your garments, covered with nothing but shame and disgrace, and made a mocking-stock to men and devils; -- to be esteemed a candidate for the cursed cross; -- to be treated by all with every species of indignity, and, amidst the pains of death, to receive no refreshing draught, no consolation whatever; -- to be constantly surrounded with a band of devils and guarded for eternal torments; -- in fine, fully to experience the whole bitterness of every kind of death without end and without intermission. Consider this, mourn and lament.

It is better for thee, finally, to be inflamed with a holy desire of revenge against thy sins, and to repay them the same severities which they inflicted upon Jesus. Keep under the body of sin, and suffer not the old man to riot in wantonness, or indulge in pride. Expel him from thy house and from thy soul, as an abandoned criminal, and a despicable slave. Divest him of every plea for protection, and nail him to the cross of your Lord, to perish dolefully there; for by virtue of that cross, you ought to 'be crucified to the world, and the world to you.' Be assiduous in subduing this monster, and cease not till you have taken amply vengeance upon him, having 'mortified your members which are upon the earth.' Happy the man who is so 'planted together with Christ in the likeness of his death, as to be planted together with him also in the likeness of his resurrection.'"

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=jerusalem&ie=UTF8&t=h&s=AARTsJpFMD1eN74cVHgsC9feXMUIvJyjsA&ll=31.777769,35.229582&spn=0.003192,0.00456&z=17&iwloc=addr&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

Spiritual Significance

The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death. It has become one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics, as well as featuring in the worship and devotion of other Christian denominations.

In the Roman Catholic tradition, the meditation is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion.

The Stations

In its traditional form, the Stations of the Cross go from the Lions' Gate to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre via Dolorosa.  The Stations themselves are marked by circular metallic plaques with Roman numerals and concentric cobblestones on the ground.  Today, churches or altars have been built on most of the Stations. There are some alternate forms but the 14 stations described below are the ones most commonly followed and the one we tracked and included in the photos:

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus receives the cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets His Mother, Mary
5. Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
6. Veronica wipes Jesus' face with her veil
7. Jesus falls the second time
8. Jesus meets the daughters and women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Deposition or Lamentation)
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.

!!!

For you movie fans, Mel Gibson's 2004 film, The Passion of Christ, follows the Stations of the Cross. The fourteenth and last station, the Burial, is not prominently depicted (compared to the other thirteen) but it is implied since the last shot before credit titles is Jesus resurrected and about to leave the tomb.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Latin: Sanctum Sepulchrum), also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The site is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, (the Hill of Calvary), where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. It is contains the last few Stations of the Cross.

For the Christians among you, this is truly a spiritual experience - if you can look beyond the hoards of tourists!  For me, there was much more significance and tangibility in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre than any other Christian atlar or reliquary I have ever visited around the world.  Highly recommended!

Kazuya Akimoto Art Museum

named and added to gallery #11,2008  at Kazuya Akimoto Art Museum

"Solitary, but calm, happy Unicorn"

acrylics 21"x18"

lisited in New Paintings  2008

Today's Keyword

within Museum paintings

"mythological"

latest contents: "mythological"

related keywords : god, goddesses, legendary byblicalr

]]> http://cinemaecultura.wordpress.com/?p=123 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:11:48 +0000 blogye16 http://cinemaecultura.tl.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/robert-de-niro-atuara-ao-lado-de-mel-gibson-em-edge-of-darkness/ Adaptação de uma minissérie da BBC tem direção Martin Campbell

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Edge of Darkness, adaptação de uma minissérie da BBC para o cinema, ganhou mais um nome de primeira linha no elenco. Ao lado de Mel Gibson - que protagonizará um longa depois de seis anos trabalhando atrás das câmeras e em papéis pequenos – estará Robert De Niro.

A minissérie foi exibida no Reino Unido em seis episódios no final de 1985. O roteiro conta a história do investigador Ronald Craven e sua filha Emma, assassinada na porta de casa. Inicialmente, a polícia acredita que Emma foi vítima de uma bala destinada ao seu pai. Mas, ao verificar os objetos de sua filha, Craven descobre que todos apresentavam altos níveis de radiação. Ele também é informado de que o governo considerava Emma uma terrorista e que era de fato o alvo do atirador.

Na versão original, Craven foi interpretado por Bob Peck e Emma por Joanne Whalley. Na produção para a TV, o esquema revelado pelo policial envolvia espionagem nuclear. No cinema, a trama passa para Boston e o policial, vivido por Gibson, agora se chama Thomas Craven. De Niro viverá um agente federal enviado para limpar as evidências do crime.

As filmagens começam este mês em Boston com roteiro de William Monahan (Os Infiltrados) e direção de Martin Campbell (Cassino Royale). Campbell dirigiu também o Edge of Darkness original.

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To begin with, it seems Rice and Webber's rock opera is able to focus upon the humanity and emotions of the characters in remarkable ways because of its overarching minimalism. Paring the Passion down to an rock-operatic "tribe" as Rice and Webber did allows "Superstar" to  delve into the human perspective in unexpected, modern ways.  In essence, we see Jesus' life and mission through the eyes of just a handful of his closest friends, friends to whom we can relate in their unvarnished humanity.  Even Christ becomes feeling flesh and blood---a true incarnation.

In Jewison's adaptation the subtle personalities created by the actors are nothing short of awe-inspiring considering how well-known the canonical historical figures are.  Jesus (Ted Neeley), Judas (Carl Anderson) and Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman) in particular weave delicate, humanized individuals, experienced from many angles: they are transformed before our eyes via the songs and the story, painted against the dramatic scenery of the Holy Land.    

Such unaccustomed intimacy with iconic figures as is found in the movie, though common in popular culture today, remains unusual in religious matters, and can be overwhelming to the viewer. Undoubtedly this effect was magnified three decades ago.

In particular, early in the movie, we cinematically eavesdrop upon a highly spiritual and intimate moment where Mary Magdalene anoints the weary prophet, Christ.  We steadily and inescapably move from her soothing, airy lullaby to a passionate jazz-inflected rhythm wherein the practical-minded Judas complains of misspent money and Christ's wandering attention (personified by Mary).  Christ rebukes Judas in a deeply revelatory phrase, one which sets up the rest of the Passion play.  

Jesus reveals three themes at once. He senses of the limits of his personal mission, acknowledging that the disadvantaged will always be with us. He furthermore forsees that his time on earth is growing short. Lastly, Jesus looks penetratingly into Judas' eyes, reading  the apostle's inability to empty his ego (kenosis) and follow in his footsteps.  At the same moment, Judas slowly realizes that his friend is moving in a direction he cannot (or, really will not). Judas' gaze recounts his opening number's doubts: Is Christ mentally unstable?  Is he power-hungry?  Judas' mind and heart sink, as do Christ's. The loss is accented with the heartbreaking gesture of the men's arms beginning in an embrace, sliding down to gripping hands, which then slip apart---like a failed rescue.

As Christ metaphorically begins his departure into the Passion, Judas physically and mentally slips away from Jesus. Even so, their soulful eyes remain locked together, telling us that they cling to each other in very emotional, human terms while greater powers prevail in dividing them.  They are star-crossed souls.

Prior to this---at least since the loss of the gnostic "Gospel of Judas"--Judas was never thought of in this undemonized way.  There is so much more to say...

Putting my reactions to this moving film into words is a bit like trying to explain classical music. Or, trying to paint solely in shades of grey.  Nevertheless, at the moment I am penning an article on just this subject, to be published on "Bread and Circus Magazine".  I look forward to sharing it in short stead.

Meanwhile, please feel free to comment to me about the film, your reactions to it, or your thoughts on modern religiosity.

Postscript (8/7/08): Please see my related article, Devotio Moderna: Ted Neeley's Passion Play, which picks up where this one leaves off.

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Aemilia Lanyer (1569-1645), was born in London to Baptista Bassano and his possibly common-law wife Margaret Johnson. At age 23, the then Aemilia Bassano married her cousin Alphonso Lanyer, supposedly after becoming pregnant by Henry Carey, Lord Hudson. She had two children, a son Henry and a daughter Odillya, who died at 10 months of age, and "many miscarriages" as well. The reported miscarriages are are brought to bear, as she is considered a candidate to be the Dark Lady, or Dark Musical Lady, in William Shakespeare's sonnets #127-154, and thus would have been prone to affairs, and maybe have shared one with the Bard. Note that if she had an extended affair with Shakespeare, five years her senior, or even if they enjoyed discussing poetics and culture together around the court, he would have had an influence on her, and vice versa.

In 1611, at age 42, Lanyer became the first woman to publish a book of poetry in English, Salue Deus Rex Judaeorum, or "Hail, God, King of the Jews." Within that book is the first known country house poem, "The Description of Cooke-ham". It predates Ben Jonson's "To Penshurst", Andrew Marvell's "Upon Appleton House, to my Lord Fairfax", and Robert Herrick's "A Panegyric to Sir Lewis Pemberton". Here is Emma Jones discussing Lanyer's poem in the essay Renaissance 'country house' poetry as social criticism:

Her country house poem The Description of Cooke-ham gives us an account of the residence of Margaret Clifford, Countess of Cumberland, in the absence of Lady Clifford, who is depicted as the ideal Renaissance woman---graceful, virtuous, honourable and beautiful. Lanyer describes the house and its surroundings while Lady Margaret is present, and while she is absent. While Lady Margaret was around, the flowers and trees:

Set forth their beauties then to welcome thee!
The very hills right humbly did descend,
When you to tread upon them did intend.
And as you set your feete, they still did rise,
Glad that they could receive so rich a prise.

Lanyer also may have been Jewish. If so, this would support the contention, being proffered by John Hudson, that she wrote the works we have always attributed to Shakespeare. The idea is that Shakespeare would not have had the requisite knowledge of Jewish lore, written into the plays, that a Jewish Bassano-Lanyer would; and that she agreed to be his ghostwriter, needing the cover of a man's identity in order to have her work published and performed. Significantly, however, if she were no more Jewish than Shakespeare, the argument that he must not have written the plays, must apply to her as well on this score.

Here is Kari Boyd McBride's response to that assertion from her Biography of Aemilia Lanyer:

Lanyer's father's family, the Bassanos, were court musicians who had come to England from Venice at the end of Henry VIII's reign. It has been argued that they were converted Jews (Lasocki and Prior; Rowse, "Revealed at Last," and ensuing correspondence; Greer et al., s.v. "Aemilia Lanyer"), but Ruffatti has argued persuasively that the family was Christian.

Here is Michelle Powell-Smith discussing Lanyer's possible Jewishness and the title of her landmark book, in Aemilia Lanyer: Redeeming Women Through Faith and Poetry:

It has been suggested that she was a converted Jew, largely on the basis of the title of her work. This, however, seems unlikely. Lanyer attributed the title of Salve Deus to a dream she'd had many years before its writing and internal clues in the poem, as well as Lanyer's circle of acquaintances, lend far more certainty to the theory that Lanyer was actually a radical protestant. Susan Bertie, the Countess of Kent, was responsible for Lanyer's education. Bertie had multiple connections to radical protestantism, including a close relationship with Anne Lock, who translated Calvin and Taffin into English.

Powell-Smith is there referring to the section of Lanyer's book called "To the Doubtfull Reader", wherein she writes:

Gentle Reader, if thou desire to be resolued, why I giue this Title, Salue Deus Rex Judaeorum, know for certaine, that it was deliuered vnto me in sleepe many yeares before I had any intent to write in this maner, and was quite out of my memory vntill I had written the Passion of Christ, when immediately it came into my remembrance, what I had dreamed long before; and thinking it a significant token, that I was appointed to performe that Worke, I gaue the very same words I receiued in sleepe as the fittest Title I could deuise for this Booke.

With this background, let's look at John Hudson's website, dedicated in large part to the ideas that Aemilia Lanyer is both The Dark Lady of his sonnets and the "Shakespeare" who wrote them as well: Did this black Jewish woman, Amelia Bassano (the first woman to publish a book of original poetry) write Shakespeare's plays?. Linked from that site are the following two videos, here from YouTube:

Who Wrote Shakespeare?: The Dark Lady Discovery

Amilia Bassano Lanier as Shakespeare

Lanyer's book came out five years before Shakespeare died, so we need to note, that if she used his name as a cover before this, then the book she got published under her own name, Salue Deus Rex Judaeorum, would have been written in a mature "Shakespearean" style, or at least worthy of publication by a mature ghostwriter for Shakespeare. It seems obvious to me that it isn't. Here are two of Shakespeare's Dark Lady sonnets:
   

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by William Shakespeare
   

#127
   

In the old age black was not counted fair,
Or if it were it bore not beauty's name:
But now is black beauty's successive heir,
And beauty slandered with a bastard shame,
For since each hand hath put on nature's power,   
Fairing the foul with art's false borrowed face,
Sweet beauty hath no name no holy bower,
But is profaned, if not lives in disgrace.
Therefore my mistress' eyes are raven black,
Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem,
At such who not born fair no beauty lack,
Slandering creation with a false esteem,
    Yet so they mourn becoming of their woe,
    That every tongue says beauty should look so.

   
#130
   

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun,
Coral is far more red, than her lips red,
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun:
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head:
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks,
And in some perfumes is there more delight,
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know,
That music hath a far more pleasing sound:
I grant I never saw a goddess go,
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
    And yet by heaven I think my love as rare,
    As any she belied with false compare.

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Within Lanyer's book is the title poem, the 1840-line "Salue Deus Rex Judaeorum" written in rime royal stanzas, ababbcc. That poem contains these significant sections: The Passion of Christ; Eue's Apologie in Defence of Women; The Teares of the Daughters of Jerusalem; and The Salutation and Sorrow of the Virgin Marie. To begin the reading of her poetry, and to note Lanyer's style, here is part of that last section:

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(lines 1009-1056 of the poem "Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum")

by Aemilia Lanyer

from The Salutation and Sorrow of the Virgin Marie

His woefull Mother wayting on her Sonne,
All comfortlesse in depth of sorow drowned;
Her griefes extreame, although but new begun,
To see his bleeding body oft shee swouned;
How could shee choose but thinke her selfe undone,
He dying, with whose glory shee was crowned?
        None ever lost so great a losse as shee,
        Beeing Sonne, and Father of Eternitie.

Her teares did wash away his pretious blood,
That sinners might not tread it under feet
To worship him, and that it did her good
Upon her knees, although in open street,
Knowing he was the Jessie floure and bud,
That must be gath'red when it smell'd most sweet:
        Her Sonne, her Husband, Father, Saviour, King,
        Whose death killd Death, and tooke away his sting.

Most blessed Virgin, in whose faultlesse fruit,
All Nations of the earth must needes rejoyce,
No Creature having sence though ne'r so brute,
But joyes and trembles when they heare his voyce;
His wisedome strikes the wisest persons mute,
Faire chosen vessell, happy in his choyce:
        Deere Mother of our Lord, whose reverend name,
        All people Blessed call, and spread thy fame.

For the Almightie magnified thee,
And looked downe upon thy meane estate;
Thy lowly mind, and unstain'd Chastitie,
Did pleade for Love at great Jehovaes gate,
Who sending swift-wing'd Gabriel unto thee,
His holy will and pleasure to relate;
        To thee most beauteous Queene of Woman-kind,
        The Angell did unfold his Makers mind.

He thus beganne, Haile Mary full of grace,
Thou freely art beloved of the Lord,
He is with thee, behold thy happy case;
What endlesse comfort did these words afford
To thee that saw'st an Angell in the place
Proclaime thy Virtues worth, and to record
        Thee blessed among women: that thy praise
        Should last so many worlds beyond thy daies.

Loe, this high message to thy troubled spirit,
He doth deliver in the plainest sence;
Sayes, Thou shouldst beare a Sonne that shal inherit
His Father Davids throne, free from offence,
Call's him that Holy thing, by whose pure merit
We must be sav'd, tels what he is, of whence;
        His worth, his greatnesse, what his name must be,
        Who should be call'd the Sonne of the most High.

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To contrast the writing style of Shakespeare with Lanyer's, notice her usage of the verb did to emphasize the principal verb to follow, as in "did wash away" and "did pleade for love" (above), instead of "washed away" and "pleaded for love" or "pled for love". One reason for her to do this would be to keep the iambic meter. Another might be her bilingual Mediterranean ear for language making it sound okay. In the entirety of the 1840-line poem "Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum", she uses the word did 126 times; or 6.6% of her lines contain the word did. But, she is inconsistent, as the first occurrences are in lines 216-217:

Did worke Octaviaes wrongs, and his neglects.
What fruit did yeeld that faire forbidden tree,

So, subtracting out the first 215 lines, we have 1,625 lines beginning where her writing changed; and a recalculation shows that did is used in 7.8% of those lines, every 13 lines of iambic pentameter on average. Either way, rounding off, this is 6 times Shakespeare's usage of the word in his sonnets. In his 154 sonnets, there are 2,156 lines, and only 26 occurrences of did, 1.2% of the lines, or once every 83 lines on average. Thus Lanyer and Shakespeare are poets with different poetic ears for whatever reason.

On the idea that Lanyer is Shakespeare's Dark Lady, here is Peter Bassano, who is descended from her uncle Anthony, discussing this possibility in his article Emilia Bassano: Shakespeare's Mistress?:

Despite an enormous age difference Emilia became Hunsdon's mistress until 1592 when she became pregnant, she was hurriedly married off to poor old Alphonso Lanier. The son she bore was baptised Henry after his father and grand-father. Henry Lanier also became a musician joining the Kings Musick in 1629. It would take a constitutional historian to work out the hierarchy of this hapless young man's claim to the English throne.

Here are Shakespeare's own words on his adulterous lover, she is identified as dark in the extreme in Sonnet 127:

In the old age black was not counted fair,
Or if it were it bore not beauty's name;
But now is black beauty's successive heir,
And beauty slandered with a bastard shame:

The bastard shame according with Emilia's unfortunate position in the days of life before birth control!

Let's look at another of Shakespeare's Dark Lady sonnets, and note that if Bassano is correct, his very great aunt Aemilia, posing as William Shakespeare, would have been writing about herself:

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#144
   

Two loves I have of comfort and despair,
Which like two spirits do suggest me still,
The better angel is a man right fair:
The worser spirit a woman coloured ill.
To win me soon to hell my female evil,
Tempteth my better angel from my side,
And would corrupt my saint to be a devil:
Wooing his purity with her foul pride.
And whether that my angel be turned fiend,
Suspect I may, yet not directly tell,
But being both from me both to each friend,
I guess one angel in another's hell.
    Yet this shall I ne'er know but live in doubt,   
    Till my bad angel fire my good one out.

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Let's suppose that Lanyer wrote sonnet 144 instead of Shakespeare. This would mean that instead of a reading of how Eros leads us to both comfort and despair--sometimes into the arms of an evil woman, sometimes into a dilemma-filled love triangle--we would have The Dark Musical Lady herself speaking about the social predicament of women in early 17th-century England. The line, "The worser spirit a woman coloured ill," would refer to the idea that woman are put down, colored in a derogatory manner, that they have "foul pride." Her male side could be that she is writing under cover of the respected Will Shakespeare: "The better angel is a man right fair". But would roles reverse, could "my angel be turned fiend"? She cannot know this until the dark woman comes out from under the mask of the fair man, "Till my bad angel fire my good one out."

I cannot rectify the writing styles, however, and so cannot jump on the bandwagon to announce, as Dr A.L. Rowse did to Peter Bassano, "it is she!" But I can include below her famous "Eves Apologie" that turns the tables of the "female evil" on the "man right fair" in Eden, the paradise from which, I will point out, they were both expelled or "fired out" of as a couple. We will then finish with Lanyer's short essay To the Virtuous Reader, which is also in her book, and another section of the title poem in Salue Deus Rex Judaeorum titled "The Teares of the Daughter of Jerusalem."

But first, how do we pose Aemilia Lanyer as we suppose from our perspectives? We pose her as a radical protestant, writing her fine religious poetry, and yet much of the information we have about her comes from "the astrologer Simon Forman whom Lanyer consulted about her husband's prospects for promotion." Apparently she consulted an astrologer. We pose her promiscuously, as at least rubbing elbows with William Shakespeare, with some imagined outside chance that she was his Dark Musical Lady; as having many miscarriages, and marrying one man after becoming pregnant by another, and yet: "Forman [himself] tried, unsuccessfully, to seduce Lanyer." We pose her with gossip.

The way she posed herself can be seen in the positions she took within her remarkable accomplishments, that she published the first book by a woman, and in doing so circulated a book with the specific intent of showing that women are due considerable respect. She posed herself with gospel. She interpreted the same scripture being used by society to keep women down, and made her case that quite the opposite ought truthfully be done.

Her other significant literary first is her country house poem, "The Description of Cooke-ham", written in tribute to Margaret Clifford, Countess of Cumberland. Above we quote the five lines Emma Jones cited in her essay Renaissance 'country house' poetry as social criticism. Jones then goes on to say:

A far more rational explanation would be that Lady Margaret resided at Cooke-ham during the summer months, and just after she left, autumn came upon the countryside. In order to flatter Lady Margaret, Lanyer implies that the countryside is mourning her departure, but in actual fact she sees the turn of the season, which is not affected by Lady Margaret. Just as in To Penshurst the lifestyle seemed too good to be true, in A Description of Cook-ham, the Lady of the house seems to be too close to perfection to be real. Perhaps Lanyer's poem is a satirical take on the relationship between the poet and the patron.

Here are the eight lines that follow the five Emma Jones used:

The gentle Windes did take delight to bee
Among those woods that were so grac'd by thee.
And in sad murmure vtterd pleasing sound,
That Pleasure in that place might more abound:
The swelling Bankes deliuer'd all their pride,
When such a Phoenix once they had espide.
Each Arbor, Banke, each Seate, each stately Tree,
Thought themselues honor'd in supporting thee.

She is not flattering the Countess of Cumberland. She is giving all due respect to another woman, the considerable respect that a women is Biblically due, what Jesus gave, as she says: "All which is sufficient to inforce all good Christians and honourable minded men to speake reuerently of our sexe, and especially of all virtuous and good women."
   

--Clattery MacHinery

______

(lines 761-832 of the poem "Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum")
   

by Aemilia Lanyer
   

from Eue's Apologie in Defence of Women
   

Till now your indiscretion sets us free,
And makes our former fault much lesse appeare;
Our Mother Eve, who tasted of the Tree,
Giving to Adam what shee held most deare,
Was simply good, and had no powre to see,
The after-comming harme did not appeare:
        The subtile Serpent that our Sex betraide,
        Before our fall so sure a plot had laide.

That undiscerning Ignorance perceav'd
No guile, or craft that was by him intended;
For had she knowne, of what we were bereav'd,
To his request she had not condiscended.
But she (poore soule) by cunning was deceav'd,
No hurt therein her harmelesse Heart intended:
        For she alleadg'd Gods word, which he denies,
        That they should die, but even as Gods, be wise.

But surely Adam can not be excusde,
Her fault though great, yet hee was most too blame;
What Weaknesse offerd, Strength might have refusde,
Being Lord of all, the greater was his shame:
Although the Serpents craft had her abusde,
Gods holy word ought all his actions frame,
        For he was Lord and King of all the earth,
        Before poore Eve had either life or breath.

Who being fram'd by Gods eternall hand,
The perfect'st man that ever breath'd on earth;
And from Gods mouth receiv'd that strait command,
The breach whereof he knew was present death:
Yea having powre to rule both Sea and Land,
Yet with one Apple wonne to loose that breath
        Which God had breathed in his beauteous face,
        Bringing us all in danger and disgrace.

And then to lay the fault on Patience backe,
That we (poore women) must endure it all;
We know right well he did discretion lacke,
Beeing not perswaded thereunto at all;
If Eve did erre, it was for knowledge sake,
The fruit beeing faire perswaded him to fall:
        No subtill Serpents falshood did betray him,
        If he would eate it, who had powre to stay him?

Not Eve, whose fault was onely too much love,
Which made her give this present to her Deare,
That what shee tasted, he likewise might prove,
Whereby his knowledge might become more cleare;
He never sought her weakenesse to reprove,
With those sharpe words, which he of God did heare:
        Yet Men will boast of Knowledge, which he tooke
        From Eves faire hand, as from a learned Booke.

If any Evill did in her remaine,
Beeing made of him, he was the ground of all;
If one of many Worlds could lay a staine
Upon our Sexe, and worke so great a fall
To wretched Man, by Satans subtill traine;
What will so fowle a fault amongst you all?
        Her weakenesse did the Serpents words obay;
        But you in malice Gods deare Sonne betray.

Whom, if unjustly you condemne to die,
Her sinne was small, to what you doe commit;
All mortall sinnes that doe for vengeance crie,
Are not to be compared unto it:
If many worlds would altogether trie,
By all their sinnes the wrath of God to get;
        This sinne of yours, surmounts them all as farre
        As doth the Sunne, another little starre.   

Then let us have our Libertie againe,
And challendge to your selves no Sov'raigntie;
You came not in the world without our paine,
Make that a barre against your crueltie;
Your fault beeing greater, why should you disdaine
Our beeing your equals, free from tyranny?
        If one weake woman simply did offend,
        This sinne of yours, hath no excuse, nor end.

______

from the book Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
   

by Aemilia Lanyer
   

To the Vertvovs Reader
   

Often haue I heard that it is the property of some women, not only to emulate the virtues and perfections of the rest, but also by all their powers of ill speaking, to ecclipse the brightness of their deserved fame: now contrary to this custome, which men I hope uniustly lay to their charge, I haue written this small volume, or little booke, for the generall vse of all virtuous Ladies and Gentlewomen of this kingdome; and in commendation of some particular persons of our owne sexe, such as for the most part, are so well knowne to my selfe, and others, that I dare undertake Fame dares not to call any better. And this haue I done, to make knowne to the world, that all women deserue not to be blamed though some forgetting they are women themselues, and in danger to be condemned by the words of their owne mouthes, fall into so great an errour, as to speake vnaduisedly against the rest of their sexe; which if it be true, I am persuaded they can shew their owne imperfection in nothing more: and therefore could wish (for their owne ease, modesties, and credit) they would referre such points of folly, to be practised by euell disposed men, who forgetting they were borne of women, nourished of women, and that if it were not by the means of women, they would be quite extinguished out of the world: and a finall ende of them all, doe like Vipers deface the wombes wherein they were bred, onely to giue way and vtterance to their want of discretion and goodnesse. Such as these, were they that dishonoured Christ his Apostles and Prophets, putting them to shamefull deaths. Therefore, we are not to regard any imputations that they vndeseruedly lay upon us, no otherwise than to make vse of them to our owne benefits, as spurres to vertue, making vs flie all occasions that may colour their uniust speeches to passe currant. Especially considering that they haue tempted euen the patience of God himselfe, who gaue power to wise and virtuous women, to bring downe their pride and arrogancie. As was cruell Cesarus by the discreet counsell of noble Deborah, Iudge and Prophetesse of Israel: and resolution of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite: wicket Haman, by the diuine prayers and prudent proceedings of beautiful Hester: blasphemous Holofernes, by the inuincible courage, rare wisdome, and confident carriage of Iudeth: & the vniust Iudges, by the innocency of chast Susanna: with infinite others, which for breuitie sake I will omit. As also in respect it pleased our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, without the assistance of man, beeing free from originall and all other sinnes, from the time of his conception, till the houre of his death, to be begotten of a woman, borne of a woman, nourished of a woman, obedient to a woman; and that he healed woman, pardoned women, comforted women: yea, euen when he was in his greatest agonie and bloodie sweat, going to be crucified, and also in the last houre of his death, tooke care to dispose of a woman: after his resurrection, appeared first to a woman, sent a woman to declare his most glorious resurrection to the rest of his Disciples. Many other examples I could alledge of diuers faithfull and virtuous women, who haue in all ages, not onely beene Confessors, but also indured most cruel martyrdome for their faith in Iesus Christ. All which is sufficient to inforce all good Christians and honourable minded men to speake reuerently of our sexe, and especially of all virtuous and good women. To the modest sensures of both which, I refer these my imperfect indeauours, knowing that according to their owne excellent dispositions, they will rather, cherish, nourish, and increase the least sparke of virtue where they find it, by their fauourable and beste interpretations, than quench it by wrong constructions. To whom I wish all increase of virtue, and desire their best opinions.

______

(lines 969-1008 of the poem "Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum")
   

by Aemilia Lanyer
   

The Teares of the Daughter of Jerusalem
   

Thrice happy women that obtaind such grace
From him whose worth the world could not containe;
Immediately to turne about his face,
As not remembring his great griefe and paine,
To comfort you, whose teares powr'd forth apace
On Flora's bankes, like shewers of Aprils raine:
        Your cries inforced mercie, grace, and love
        From him, whom greatest Princes could not moove:

To speake on word, nor once to lift his eyes
Unto proud Pilate, no nor Herod, king;
By all the Questions that they could devise,
Could make him answere to no manner of thing;
Yet these poore women, by their pitious cries
Did moove their Lord, their Lover, and their King,
        To take compassion, turne about, and speake
        To them whose hearts were ready now to breake.

Most blessed daughters of Jerusalem,
Who found such favour in your Saviors sight,
To turne his face when you did pitie him;
Your tearefull eyes, beheld his eies more bright;
Your Faith and Love unto such grace did clime,
To have reflection from this Heav'nly Light:
        Your Eagles eyes did gaze against this Sunne,
        Your hearts did thinke, he dead, the world were done.
   
When spightfull men with torments did oppresse
Th'afflicted body of this innocent Dove,
Poore women seeing how much they did transgresse,
By teares, by sighes, by cries intreat, nay prove,
What may be done among the thickest presse,
They labour still these tyrants hearts to move;
        In pitie and compassion to forbeare
        Their whipping, spurning, tearing of his haire.

But all in vaine, their malice hath no end,
Their hearts more hard than flint, or marble stone;
Now to his griefe, his greatnesse they attend,
When he (God knowes) had rather be alone;
They are his guard, yet seeke all meanes to offend:
Well may he grieve, well may he sigh and groane,
        Under the burthen of a heavy crosse,
        He faintly goes to make their gaine his losse.

______

______

Forgiveness is stronger

The Old Testament endorsed the stoning of adulterers (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22) and fornicators, including a monetary fine and stoning, depending on the circumstances (Ex. 22:16-17; Deut. 22:23-26; 28-29). But there came a moment in the human history, when the law was fulfilled in a Man, who's words brought healing instead of stoning.

Because stoning as a form of punishment was recognized and ordered by Mohamed in the hadiths, there is still a strong base for it's validation. In my comparison list between Mohamed and Jesus, the two worlds, according to their teachings and life examples, collide in many areas, and the stoning reveals one of the aspects of a quite different Word of God they preached and practised.

stoning in Afghanistan

When Jesus came, He changed the world upside down. He revealed the truth about His Father's heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, which is Christianity 101, He touched upon the sins of adultery and lust in a way that changed the perspective on men's righteousness completely.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matt. 5:27-28

This statement was soon followed by an incident which we can read about in the Gospel of John, chapter 8. The smart and intelligent scholars (teachers of the law) and the religious leaders (Pharisees) caught a woman in adultery. In reality they were preying on Jesus, trying to corner Him and expose His luck of, according to their way, cohesive teaching. But the whole story turned into something unexpected, life changing, mind bugling. After dragging her to Jesus' feet they left the power for her life and death in His hands. Jesus replied:

"He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

adulterous woman scene from the movie "The Passion of Christ"

The verdict which was expected to be imposed upon the fallen woman, was turned upon the accusers' consciousness. There were probably few things that could happen then, but the most bizarre happened, and it was recorded in the Gospel. One by one, they all left. Was it, because the spoken Word penetrated their hearts? Was is because they realized their hypocrisy? Was it because they decided they can't win their tricky game this time? was it because the fear of God fall upon them? Was is because they had a glimpse of God who is just and merciful?

This one moment changed the universe forever. The power of forgiveness was installed in the human race. It was cried out not in a moment of speech or preaching, but in the moment where someones destiny was about to be overturned.

"Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"

Jesus spoke to a condemned woman. That was a shocking reality by itself. The question He asked was for her to realize, that the accusers lost their ground. There were no more threats. And then comes the punching line, that is the quintessence of God who is Justice and Mercy at once.

"I do not condemn you either, go, from now on sin no more."

This is the way to a human heart and the root of the sin. The spiritual solution is forgiveness without condemnation, with the encouragement. Later on, Jesus fulfilled the law by taking the penalty for our sins on Himself.

How different from Mohammed's form of justice - stoning and flogging. Did these kinds, still used in some countries as a "Muslim way" of dealing with the criminals, ever work? As far as I am aware, in Judaism, there is no more stoning imposed as a punishment for the sins or committed crime. Christian based judicial systems are not allowing such cruelty. But in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, Nigeria, it's still a different story. It just torns families apart, deprives the children of the parent, causes damage to the child's life, brings shame without resolution, drives the sin underground, does not offer any healing to the families or the society. If it would work in theses controlled societies, is the sin purged out of the hearts of people?

Can't Allah forgive?

More:

PBS Frontline story about Saudi princess executed for adultery (1980)

Islam and stoning

One ongoing struggle I have with myself is my inbuilt desire to be seen to be successful. I seek to achieve success so that others will say "well done Neil". As I read Leviticus 11:45 this morning, "You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy", my response is to strive for perfect personal holiness so that God will say "well done Neil". If God left me to do this on my own, I'd chase the rainbow and hate myself for not finding the pot of gold. I'd eventually burn out from the slog of trying to be holy and the guilt of failure. I'd never know God's smile and his "well done Neil". I know, because I've been there and done that.

That's why the gospel is so beautiful. In his book The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty reasons why he came to die John Piper points me to one reason why Christ's death meets my deepest felt need. Christ Suffered and Died ...To Make us HOLY, BLAMELESS, AND PERFECT

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time
those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:14

He has now reconciled [you] in his body of flesh by his death,
in order to present you holy and blameless and
above reproach before him.
Colossians 1:22

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump,
as you really are unleavened.
For Christ, our Passover lamb,
has been sacrificed.
1 Corinthians 5:7

One of the greatest heartaches in the Christian life is the slowness of our change. We hear the summons of God to love him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength (Mark 12:30). But do we ever rise to that totality of affection and devotion? We cry out regularly with the apostle Paul, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). We groan even as we take fresh resolves: "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own" (Philippians 3:12).

That very statement is the key to endurance and joy. "Christ Jesus has made me his own." All my reaching and yearning and striving is not to belong to Christ (which has already happened), but to complete what is lacking in my likeness to him.

One of the greatest sources of joy and endurance for the Christian is knowing that in the imperfection of our progress we have already been perfected—and that this is owing to the suffering and death of Christ. "For by a single offering [namely, himself!] he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14). This is amazing! In the same sentence he says we are "being sanctified" and we are already "perfected."

Being sanctified means that we are imperfect and in process. We are becoming holy—but are not yet fully holy. And it is precisely these—and only these—who are already perfected. The joyful encouragement here is that the evidence of our perfection before God is not our experienced perfection, but our experienced progress. The good news is that being on the way is proof that we have arrived.

The Bible pictures this again in the old language of dough and leaven (yeast). In the picture, leaven is evil. We are the lump of dough. It says, "Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Christians are "unleavened." There is no leaven—no evil. We are perfected. For this reason we are to "cleanse out the old leaven." We have been made unleavened in Christ. So we should now become unleavened in practice. In other words, we should become what we are.

The basis of all this? "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." The suffering of Christ secures our perfection so firmly that it is already now a reality. Therefore, we fight against our sin not simply to become perfect, but because we are. The death of Jesus is the key to battling our imperfections on the firm foundation of our perfection.

In Biblie scrie ca nu exista dragoste mai mare decat sa-si dea cineva viata pentru prietenii sai.. insa noi, oamenii, avem un mod egoist, limitat de a iubi .. dar Isus ne-a iubit .. ne-a iubit pana la capat ... dar nu s-a terminat acolo .. a inviat .. si acum mijloceste pentru noi la Dumnezeu ..

Isus ne-a promis viata din belsug alaturi de El .. iar promisiunile Lui au fost , sunt si vor ramane vesnic adevarate ...

Isus te vrea .. tu Il vrei?

March 17^th, 2004 Seeing the Passion of Christ affected me not as I expected. With Yeshua’s ethereal support, I rose into a place of compassionate observation understanding that the depiction is through the filter of fear. Jarys had a tremendous opening seeing that pain, suffering, even death is all of the One, that the two flames are One, that the One is within. He argued with Yeshua through me about returning to fix the mess his followers have created. Yeshua explained that the second coming is an awakening of a christed consciousness within each of us, spurred in part by the book. 

March 20^th, 2004 On my birthday, adoration comes up in a sense of awe for who I am, for creation, for those I love. Looking into Steve’s eyes, I see his awakening. As I release him he settles and meets me. Gathering the disciples in the writing, presenting them with compassion is a blessed chore. What confuses me most is who they are in this life, but I see flavors of each in many. Perhaps it’s the mitosis again. Once there was a Judas who now lives in many, some hold the guilt of the myth, some more like the Judas I remember—a bear of a man with honey inside.

For me, it's strange that the Church picked such a drastic thing as its main symbol. Once I entered a church and there was a huge crucifix in the middle, with the "dead body of Jesus" and for me, it came very cruel and depressing. Dying man should be something I should pray to? Something I should contemplate when I find my quiet while to think about life?

For me, life is joy, happiness, love - and even with Jesus - He raised!!! He resurrected!!! Jesus is Alive, not dead any more!!!

Come on, people, be happy, rejoice, because He really raised on the third day! So why are we still sticking to the cross, the sign of what people thought was His "loss"? We are crying, hopeless, guilty...

I am starting to understand the value and the importance, and the meaning of the Cross as something what Jesus gave us and I know that it cost an incredibly lot. I am fully aware that I don't have an idea of what the "Man and God" in one person had to sacrifice, do and suffer in order to get us where we are now. And I am grateful for that. Cross is priceless.

But once Jesus told Peter, "Go away, Satan!" - because Peter could see just the suffering and didn't understand what was behind - and I think Jesus had a good reason to undergo all the suffering - so what was His motivation? Why did He do it?

Should not we concentrate more on resurrected Jesus?

What do you think?

 Adam and Eve brought sin and death into the world, Jesus brought life and Grace into the world. Grace is what you did not struggle for.

Christ brought Grace, and if you live a righteous life, you will experience grace. 

Pastor Segun Sofoluwe,