The Movie: Pulp Fiction, 1994 (Quentin Tarantino, writer and director)
Who says it: Samuel L. Jackson as Jules, a gun for hire
The context: Jules and his partner, Vincent (John Travolta), have just survived an unexpected shootout, and Jules thinks it’s time to change his ways.
How to use it: To acknowledge divine intervention.
Unquestioning self-righteousness makes me crazy, but I'm baffled by those who dismiss the conventionally religious as under-educated fools. It's been interesting to watch the press coverage of the Pope's death (and the Pope is dying, regardless of Keith Olbermann's bizarre speculations on camera around 2:00 this morning). Everyone's working so hard to be objective about an event that no honest person can see objectively. I have friends who think this Pope has done terrible damage to the world; for myself, I feel that I am losing a beloved grandfather I never really got to know.
Last night was weird. I didn't go out, just stayed up much too late, flipping back and forth between Papal Deathwatch 2005 and a Laurel-and-Hardy marathon on Turner Classic Movies. The unifying theme, if there was one, was affection for the frailties of man. God loves us, but God laughs at us, too, which we know because we can laugh at each other.
My friend Barb, a folk musician, just sent me a description (because I asked) of what it means to "frail" a banjo. Frailing is a way of thumping the strings, as well as picking, with your hand in the shape of a make-believe gun.
And there's no point to that factoid except that it seemed to match the Pulp Fiction quote, and reminds us again of the wonders of English.
3 comments:
Tempus fugit! Memento Mori. The Pope is passing and there will be a new Pope. What this man has acomplished is to bring the Church into the current era without destroying its traditions and faith. He has ended the religious wars and the politicalization of the Western Chistian Church that began with Pope Leo the Great(remember Atilla, King of the Huns).
When I was young the bitter rivalry between Christian groups was something that showed itself daily. There is still work to be done, but much progress has been made.
The Christian Church is capable of this new reformation because it is founded on the Western ideals of self examination and philosophy.
The inability of Islam to adjust to the changing perception of God, Government and Behavior is the next problem to be solved. Hopefully, the Islamic World will find its counterpart to John Paul II.
I admire this Pope as the leader of the Catholic church. He has stood by his principles and the teachings of the church. I can only hope that if this is his time, that the church can find a worthy successor who will carry on these traditions and teachings. I too feel a loss.
From Susan:
We're human, so we're sad that he's gone; worried about the changes to come and how they'll effect us, the Church and the world. But we should remember to be joyous too, as people who believe in the promises of our faith. John Paul II was our immeasurable gift for a long time and now he'll have his reward.
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