Reading and Flying

Last updated on: April 20, 2021 at 7:30 am by Anne Kennedy

Reading and Flying 2021-04-20T07:30:21-04:00 Anne Kennedy

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jesus excited to see what happens to him in the Book of Longings.

Sorry to have fallen off the podcast routine! We are not at home this week and blithely thought we would be able to record wherever we were and upload it, but that turned out not to be true. We are too technologically challenged to figure it out. That also means the sermon and everything will be along later. Sorry to have ruined everything for the people who require a very delicately balanced routine to be happy.

As for me, I am discombobulated because, in the first place, I flew on an airplane for the first time in over a year, and found the whole thing shocking (more on that in a moment), and in the second place, I am trying to read that Sue Monk Kidd Book of Longings novel and am finding it so bad I’ve finally been able to start laughing. If you haven’t heard of it, basically it’s a first-person narrated effort with lines like “I heard wind scratching the sky,” and “Her teeth sharpened in her mouth,” and “Steadying myself on one foot, I waited for the day blindness to leave before finally dragging my voice from its hovel.” In the chapter I just read Ana, the main character, has met Jesus in a market in Sepphoris selling yarn or something–and fallen in love, I guess. Truly, I won’t be able to get through this without giving constant updates. Also, I really feel that if this person can write a novel so badly, surely I can too and that I should carve out some time to really try. I’m sure I would be able to produce such deathless prose as:

Occupied with these anxious thoughts of Mother, Father, and Judas, I overloaded my pen, which dripped into the bowl, leaving a black dewdrop of ink in the bottom. I stared at it horror-struck. Carefully, I dabbed the ink with a wiping rag, which left an ugly gray splotch. I’d only made it worse. I closed my eyes to calm myself. Finally, drawing my concentration back to my prayer, I wrote the last few words with the fullness of my mind.

Truly, this is the novel for such a time as this and I take great comfort that it is Glennon Doyle’s favorite thing–of course it is. In between–in order to dull the pain–I’m listening to Phineas Redux. Thank goodness for old books. It is the only way to get a break from the world’s madness.

So anyway, it was pretty exciting to fly after such a long interval of not doing it for so long. In the first place, it was surprising to see so many people all at one time all in one place that’s not Walmart. Rushing along through a busy airport in the old way, muscling past the meandering and the relaxed–only everyone in a mask–was frankly thrilling. Also, there are so many interesting masks out there. How well a person coordinates the mask with the outfit increases the possibilities of fashion judgment, which is one of the best reasons to fly.

On the other hand, I think I discovered more truly how necessary is the lower half of the face. Seeing only the eyes, it’s possible to imagine what someone must look like, but when that person pulls down the mask to take an awkward drink of coffee, what I imagined was always completely wrong.

Finally, I was irritated to hear the constant announcements that everyone, including children over the age of two, not three but two, needed to be masked. That seems to me to be a bit excessive, especially on a long flight. Not surprisingly, there were not many children. I saw maybe five the whole day. On the other hand, I think I endured my trial without getting a cold, which heretofore has always been my lot whenever I do get on a plane.

And now I must rush along to the next thing. Hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow!

Previous Post

April 18, 2021

Two Funerals and an Amazing Grace

Next Post

April 25, 2021 When Hate Has A Home

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category books Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Children in Conversation culture watch Daily Devotions Demotivations with Anne faith alone for the grandparents GAFCON In conversation with children In the News Kitchen Notes Lambeth Learning Notes Life Going On Men are Human Notes from Home Pictures Reading the Bible Saturday Links Sermons Signs of the Apocalypse The Bad Word Association The Prayer of Jonah Travel Notes Uncategorized Witless Wednesdays Work and the Christian

Select a Month June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who miraculously made an iron axe head float?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Elijah Hosea Elisha Jonah

Books by This Author Books by Anne Kennedy

See All Titles »