I’m a big GK Chesterton fan. I especially love his book Orthodoxy, which is surely one of the most quotable books ever written. Here’s one of my favorite paragraphs from that book:
The swiftest things are the softest things. A bird is active, because a bird is soft. A stone is helpless, because a stone is hard. The stone must by its own nature go downwards, because hardness is weakness. The bird can of its nature go upwards, because fragility is force. In perfect force there is a kind of frivolity, an airiness that can maintain itself in the air. Modern investigators of miraculous history have solemnly admitted that a characteristic of the great saints is their power of “levitation.” They might go further; a characteristic of the great saints is their power of levity. Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly. This has been always the instinct of Christendom, and especially the instinct of Christian art… In the old Christian pictures the sky over every figure is like a blue or gold parachute. Every figure seems ready to fly up and float about in the heavens. The tattered cloak of the beggar will bear him up like the rayed plumes of the angels. But the kings in their heavy gold and the proud in their robes of purple will all of their nature sink downwards, for pride cannot rise to levity or levitation. Pride is the downward drag of all things into an easy solemnity. One “settles down” into a sort of selfish seriousness; but one has to rise to a gay self-forgetfulness. A man “falls” into a brown study; he reaches up at a blue sky. Seriousness is not a virtue. It would be a heresy, but a much more sensible heresy, to say that seriousness is a vice. It is really a natural trend or lapse into taking one’s self gravely, because it is the easiest thing to do. It is much easier to write a good Times leading article than a good joke in Punch. For solemnity flows out of men naturally; but laughter is a leap. It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light. Satan fell by the force of gravity.
Joe
Jonathan, thanks for posting this. Along similar lines, you might find this an interesting read, too: http://biblicalhorizons.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/two-views-of-marriage/
Jess
I like this. I like this a lot. Especially since this is so relevant to my life right now that it’s not even funny. Actually, it is funny. 😀 But yes, right now I’m trying to “lighten up” and dance, smile, and laugh more. So thank you for sharing Chesterton’s view on this today.
By the way, Chesterton had been known to my sister and I as “Cheeserton” ever since we found his quote, “Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.” Of course we responded to that by writing poems about cheese with our friends. Talk about laughing. I think we were all rendered helpless with laughter until I read mine (I was the only one who didn’t take the comedic route–what can I say, I like cheese too much to make fun of it myself). 😉
Dan Kulp
I love GKC.
Janna
Laughter is a leap. I can relate to that.
Canaan Bound
Oh, GKC…Gotta love that guy.
sally apokedak
Jonathan, what a great quote. Thanks so much for posting it.
Joe, I loved the post you linked to. I couldn’t comment over there because I wasn’t able log in for some reason.
Jess, you are certainly doing your share to make the rest of us lighter.
Jonathan Rogers
Yes, Joe, thanks for that great link, and thanks Sally for reminding me to click it.
Dryad
I want to see those cheese poems. I think I shall go over to my blog and write a couple myself.Soon.
Hannah
Ok, ok, I’ll give up my cheese poem just for you Dryad. 🙂 (I’m Jess’s sis. Here goes:
Cheese
I asked please
But yet,
I received no cheese
Not a sliver
Not a slice
And my mouth watered like a river
Over that cheese
That I wanted so bad
It made me very mad
And also sad
But through all my weeping
And gnashing of teeth,
Still, I got no cheese.
No Swiss
No Havarti
Oh how I miss
Having a cheese party
Jess
Here is my non-funny one, Dryad. 😉
Cheese makes me think of
Summertime
With soft clouds
In the warm sky
Cheese and bread
Olives, sweet grapes
And the summer-salty-sea-breeze
Dryad
Mouthwatering.
Dryad
My cheese poem:http://livingoak.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/cheesy-goodness/
Jonathan Rogers
Dryad, your poem about brie is a lot better than brie.
Jess
😮 I agree that Dryad’s poem is marvelous, but I think you are implying that the divine cheese isn’t so divine. Blasphemy! 😉
Dryad
Thank you for articulating that, Jess.
Canaan Bound
Jess, the only heresy here is JR’s comment regarding Brie. Dryad’s poem is good, to be sure…though no comparison to the wonderful cheese itself.
Canaan Bound
My favorite sandwich is sliced turkey and green apples with brie on sourdough.