Last night Bernie and I watched a special report on Pope Frances. We have been just as delighted as most about this humble St. Frances-like priest heading up the Catholic Church. The opening of relationships between Cuba and the United States, I understand, was orchestrated by Frances. As soon as I learned of this, I was reminded of a book I read years ago by Morris West, The Clowns of God, about a fictional pope who worked behind the scenes communicating with leaders of warring countries. I decided to reread the book, so I ordered it on Amazon. Old books can be gotten really cheap. I spent 23 cents plus $3.99 for postage.
When the book arrived, I saw on the cover that Clowns was part of West’s “Vatican Trilogy”. The first The Shoes of the Fisherman, which I have read and the third is “Lazarus”, which I have not. I decided to buy Shoes and read the whole series. It’s cost on line is 1 cent and $3.99 postage.
I don’t usually reread books, no matter how much I like them, but I am feeling led to do that right now. Another book I am rereading is Hawaii by James Michener. Bernie and I are booked for a trip to Hawaii in February and I thought it would be fun to read it together. We started it as I read the first chapter to him while we drove to and from Bemidji this weekend. I love Michener’s writing, but he is known to begin every story at the beginning…the very beginning. Not at the founding of a nation or at the birth of the hero or the first day of the year…the beginning! The big bang, the formation of planets, the evolution of the earth, the dinasours that preceeded human life. Some would think him a big anal. I wasn’t sure how Bernie would receive this craziness, but we both loved the first chapter. It is almost 1,000 pages. God only knows if we will finish it before or during our trip to Hawaii, but having begun the book, I am tempted to revisit some of other Michener’s work that I have read.
2015 will be an interesting year. I wonder how the changes I have endured in myself and my world will effect this walk through again. Will I even recognize the old neighborhood? Will it feel less or more relevant than it did at one time?
I will let you know.