Cosmos The In Lost
This is a guest post.
Sergio Bermudez is a human being. He went to College at the University of California, Riverside and studied English. They wouldn’t let him study Bullfighting. He maintains a twitter page (@NostromoSerg) that others have described as “Crass”, “Hilarious” and a “Complete Waste of Time”. He Currently Lives Near Philly. End Transmission.
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Why I remain a Lewd Catholic…
Or how I learned to stop worrying and Love the Eucharist.
“I’m not crazy about reality, but it’s still the only place to get a decent meal.” – Groucho Marx
Q: Why are you lewd Catholic?
A: I get that question quite a bit.
Q: Are you going to answer it?
A: In a bit, don’t be so pushy. I suppose I’m Catholic because, it seemed better than anything else out there. On a serious note, it seemed to me to be, as Shusaku Endo said in The Golden Country, “The only faith that offered the full symphony of human experience.” I probably got that quote a bit wrong, but the idea that it’s a faith that meets you where you’re at, whilst simultaneously, and at the same time, pushing and calling you to be a better person was something that appealed to me. It’s nearly impossible to get to that top rung of the ladder and without falling down a few times, and maybe that just appeals to the Quixotic in me.
Q: That doesn’t make you particularly Lewd…
A: That’s not really a question either.
Q: Okay Asshole, why are you a Lewd Catholic?
A: Well, That was Rosman’s idea, and since you’re calling me an asshole, there must be something to it. Somehow, I drag everyone down and crack jokes that most don’t. They probably don’t do it cause they’re just much more polite than I am. But there is an important element of Catholicism that embraces lowbrow humor. So my justification is that I serve a valuable and ignoble role in presenting that “full symphony” of human experience. I’m the Instrument that’s slightly out of tune but attempts to fit in nevertheless. I’m a Fool Natural.
Q: What does that mean?
A: It’s something Shakespeare’s Clown Robert Armin made up to justify his strange behavior.
Q: Can you elaborate?
A: No.
Q: Why Not?
A: Because if I explained it, you’d start using the terms to impress people and try to steal my Throne.
Look, what’s brought me here has been a strange, long meandering corkscrew of a pilgrimage. I am sometimes suspicious of God, and there is a strange relationship between him and myself. By Nature, I am a liar and a Cheat, and rather lazy. I will go to great lengths to avoid extra work even if it is beneficial to me in the long-run. The big guy upstairs knowing this is often the better con-artist than I and tricks me into desiring good and using my left-handed skills for the path of the Righteous…I think. I could be wrong though.
All Literature has had its fools and clowns, it’s an important role in many stories, and I am of the belief that one should embrace life and live it as a story. Leon Bloy claimed the universe was one massive liturgical text and we all have a role to play in that. I find myself although, capable of being serious and occasionally saying things that might be worthwhile, generally full of hot air, and fury signifying very little. To tie that into my Faith, if this Universe is one immense story then what is it saying? Who is writing it? Sure we have free choice, but overall, there is greatness to be brought out of any moment. Even the worst parts, Thank God for that! Can you imagine a world where nothing you do has any echo in eternity? Man is not built for that. Look at the Cave paintings that these forgotten people did, or the stories of Dragons and other great poems like the old Epics. They’re passed down even if we aren’t entirely cognizant about why it’s necessary or what is to be gained from it. I can’t pretend to speculate why God designed us for narratives, but it’s what happened and it’s the way it played out. So I guess there’s something to it.
Q: That was a really good and serious answer.
A: Haha, I’ll try not to make that a habit.
Q: Do you have anything else you want to say?
A: Not particularly. I generally hate telling the truth and being plain-spoken about my ideas. I tried to answer the questions while revealing as little as possible.
Q: Well, you kinda failed.
A: I know. I hate it.
After all that you might want to check out Laughter at the Foot of the Cross and the other #whyremaincatholic pieces hosted by this blog.
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