Transitions and Tasks

The household is back down to three now, but not the usual three; I dropped Margaret off at the airport this morning as she makes her way south to the Society of Christian Ethics meeting, then lingers for a few ays with Jeneane, George, and Jenna. On the rush-hour drive into Philadelphia, we listened to the Irish NewsTalk radio program for which I was interviewed last fall (download it here, if you want).
 
The producers handled the odd situation of the show pretty well — that is, because some wire got crossed in Ireland, I couldn’t actually participate in the discussion with the other speakers, so they interviewed me later and dubbed in my parts. If I’d actually been on the line when some of my interlocutors said what they did, I would have needed to respond directly to their remarks (especially the casually condescending characterizations of Judaism, or the supposition that postmodernism entails disregard for truth). But I didn’t say anything that struck Margaret or me this morning as arrantly foolish, and although I spoke at about half the words-per-minute rate of the other participants, I managed to generate vaguely sensible responses to the interviewer’s questions. I’m still awestruck, though, at the speed with which other participants poured forth verbiage; not all of it bore on the point that was nominally in view, but it just kept coming! I get worked up and talk faster sometimes than I did on the tape, but I doubt I ever reach their pitch of prolixity.
 
Now, as a half-hearted participant in International Biblical Writing Month, I will own up to having three lectionary mini-essays to tackle right away, a sermon for the feast day of Hilary of Poitiers, and (of course) this book about Matthew’s Gospel that constitutes the rationale for my sabbatical leave. At least I have a framing idea for my Holy Week sermons at Christ Church, and can begin putting some time into those. Will update on progress as it comes.

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