What does it say of our world that when we satirize our biggest, most sanctimonious concepts we're really talking about everything, and in so doing give that power that some describe as holyness?
Giacomo Sartori, an Italian agronomist, has written a novel, I AM GOD, that takes apart our lives on earth with jest and humor and profound moments. Originally written in Italian, fertile ground for the obscene, the witty remarks carry over seamlessly into English as a lesson in the ease of translating blasphemy.
"It shouldn’t be so difficult to understand that their [human] lives are thrilling and tender because they come to an end... Humans haven’t learned how to die yet, and worse, the more time goes by, the more they think they’ve understood everything and the less prepared they are.”
And before it all ends, we may as well laugh at it, see our similarities and differences, and read a thing or two to learn what isn't otherwise obvious. Lest we get too serious and think we alone know something of substance about this world.
“If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you,” Mattis writes. “Any commander who claims he is ‘too busy to read’ is going to fill body bags with his troops as he learns the hard way.”
Ignorant generals and corporate raiders will do their thing, but there's a body bag for each of us eventually.
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