DIS+8

GG: DIS 8 Using this prompt from the novel, "The world of sin confronts the world of grace like the reflected picture of a landscape in the blackness of very still, deep waters," consider the image that conveys. How do you relate this picture and the world view it captures to the themes of hope in Christian spirituality?



BK: **Living a block from the lake, water has always played an important role in my day to day life. Not a day goes by where I'm not either running along the lakefront, going to the dog beach, or swimming in the summer. I'm always dazzled by the beautiful sunrise before school, love seeing the thousand different shades of blues and greens the water can be, and found myself admiring the gorgeous moon reflection in the water just last night.** **Water in my mind is something that should be equally admired, respected, and feared, much like many things in life, including religion. I find the above simile to ring true and love the picture it so flawlessly paints. Reflection is something that is so fascinating to me, just like grace, because it is mysterious yet peaceful. While sometimes reflections can be hard to see, like when it is overcast or the water is choppy, we know that it is present even if we can't necessarily see it per-say. This idea that even though we can't always literally see it but we know that it is there is prominent throughout all aspects of religion. We've focused on the idea of grace being ever-present in our lives, even if it is sometimes impossible to pinpoint while we are witnessing it. Also, the idea of the incarnated God that is always surrounding us even if we don't immediately recognize it. Hope in terms of Christian spirituality is very much the same. While we may not necessarily be able to literally see hope or even feel it all the time, it is something that we as humans are able to hold onto when all else seems lost. The priest throughout the first four chapters of this novel struggles constantly with doubt, from himself, his elders, and the community. However, he continues to, at this point in the narrative, to hope that he will be able to be the leader of his parish that he so desires to be.** **Simone Weil once stated that "****Grace fills empty spaces, but it can only** **enter** **where there is a void to receive it, and it is grace itself which makes this valid." I think that hope is very similar to grace in this way that it "fills empty spaces" in our lives. When we can't see a reflection in the water or we can't necessarily find God's grace around us, we hope that one day we will be able to and hope that His incarnation around us will be able to carry us through our day even if we can't literally see or feel it. I can only //hope// that the priest will hold on to this Christian hope throughout the rest of the plot line!** GG: Interesting how you relate the depth and unknowns of the lake to the depth and unknowns of grace itself. There is something lyrical about this reflection. I would enjoy hearing more. **GG: Good that you relate the idea of reflection as in a lake and inner reflection. This is a good connection to Hamlet, too!** JR: Immediately when I read this prompt I began to think of how the world cannot function without opposites. Sin and grace are opposites and they are found in balance in the world like good and evil are equally present. However, sin in what is reflected in the water and the evil is distorted so that it begins to appear mesmerizing and beautiful. Sin is supposed to look attractive and the beauty found in the reflection of the water displays such an image. Underneath the image is the dark abyss that is the true unknown element of the world. No one knows what lurks in the black depths. What is reassuring is that water is only part of the world therefore it cannot completely consume humanity. The natural real beauty of the landscapes of nature represents hope. People live in nature, not underwater, so hope envelopes people trying to protect them from the dismal and dark unknown. Like Breanna said, hope is not something that we can see; it is something that me must have faith in. Just as we cannot see God or His grace in the tangible sense, we have faith that he is always present around us. His hope is much like his grace and it is up to us to accept it and even find it in our lives. GG: And, in their opposite nature, they - sin and grace - are literally a "thin space" apart.
 * EM: The idea of reflection is an interesting one. Reflection can guide our most basic day to day tasks, such as checking our rear view mirrors as we drive to school. The literal idea of reflection can confront us with how we look on that day, and the figurative idea of reflection stands with how we view ourselves, others, and the world around us not on a physical level but on a spiritual and emotional level. I can look in the mirror and tell myself that I am having a bad hair day, but I can look inwards and reflect on far more important things like the kind of person I am and the kind of person I hope to become. Religion then is very similar to reflection in this sense--we cannot physically see God, but we can always reflect on His presence in our lives and His grace that, as Breanna said, is ever-present on this earth. As I was reading this novel, I could not help but to be reminded of Hamlet. The idea of reflection and both inner and outer contemplation is an overarching theme in Hamlet. Hamlet is a distraught, young man who feels he has no place in his world, and therefore can be compared to the priest. The priest is constantly searching for something concrete, and though he has a strong faith in God, he feels his parish's faith is slowly crumbling, which is taking a toll on his own faith. Is not the water the exact same? Breanna reflected on how water is ever changing. One day it is rough, the next day soft and inviting, and the next day foreboding. Though we, like the priest, may search for something to whole heartedly believe in, it is often difficult to find something when we live in a world where many things, especially nature, are often fleeting. We may see the water one day and want to rest beside it for the rest of our lives, but the next day we must shelter ourselves from a storm, and what was once a beautiful day is now a glimmering disaster. Taking all of this into consideration, the ideas of hope and faith come to mind. Noah did not give up because there was a storm. He stayed beneath the shelter of God's loving grace and ultimately found true happiness. We all have storms in our lives. Storms that shake us to the very core, storms that ultimately render a rainbow, and some that change us for good. Yet after every storm comes a sunny day, and when I am feeling hopeless and scared I recall the image of Noah's boat rejoicing in the sunlight and basking in God's saving grace--this is what gives me hope, and I can only pray that the priest will eventually find this hope, as Breanna wrote as well. **

LD: Whenever I look at Lake Michigan it always looks different. I’m not talking about its obvious changes, like the difference between a hot summer day in July to an iced over day in January. If you truly look at the water, it’s always changing, always flowing. One day it could be crystal clear while the next if has a bunch of dead bugs and seaweed clogging up swimming space. This is true in our lives when it comes to sin, grace, suffering, and even happiness. Everything is always moving, in a second anyone’s life can come crashing down, but with that it also only takes a second to be built up again. GG: (L): I think this is a very good image. There is always that flux, isn't there? Yet God's grace remains THE constant.