Frostbite
” ‘He who is unmarried cares for the things that belong to the Lord: how he may please the Lord; but he who is married cares for the things that are of the world: how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a maiden. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit; but she that is married cares for the things of the world: how she may please her husband. …
” ‘I wish that all persons were as I myself[, unmarried]. But every person has his proper gift of God: one after this manner, and another after that.
” ‘[Yet] I say of the unmarried and widows: It is good for them if they abide as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.’
“When Paul Apostle speaks of burning, I suppose he speaks of someone who contains so flammable a love or desire for another that the pain prevents his doing the work of Heaven. But what of he who, with everyday effort, is able to stand that flame but finds himself also frozen, in inaction, in despair — in a Ninth Circle of loneliness? Ice, touched, burns too.”
Exoristos
Porter Doran
Iannes
Epiktetos
Anonymous
Yet, dry ice can be swallowed without burning ;)
This is a good passage. Interesting in light of all of the ideas that say marriage is *the* plan – the younger the better, and all that even.
All too often it seems as if we don’t even care about the first part – caring for the things that belong to the Lord. What is unmarried to us?
What do you eat poisons for! and lizards, and things that you eat.
You are famous. :)
Lol. I have never eaten lizards. But there are lots of them where we are planning to be in Florida! I will let you know how they are if we decide to roast some :)