Thursday, March 17, 2022

day no. 15,851: fan-girling the zeitgeist

"His epitaph is Athanasius contra mundum, 'Athanasius against the world.' We are proud that our own country has more than once stood against the world. Athanasius did the same. He stood for the Trinitarian doctrine, 'whole and undefiled,' when it looked as if all the civilised world was slipping back from Christianity into the religion of Arius - into one of those 'sensible' synthetic religions which are so strongly recommended today and which, then as now, included among their devotees many highly cultivated clergymen. It is his glory that he did not move with the times; it is his reward that he now remains when those times, as all times do, have moved away." -- C.S. Lewis, Introduction to Athanasius' On The Incarnation

It is to your credit to avoid getting caught up in your times, but it won't be credited to your account until later. Whatever glory is gained by abstaining from the spirit of the age, it is not awarded until another age. "Contra Mundum" cannot be acquired by compromise. The sycophant may get the celebrity, but the stalwart get the glory. Refusing to fan-girl the zeitgeist is not a good way to make a living, but it is a great way to leave a legacy. It won't earn the applause of your peers, but it will earn the honor of your descendants.

Bless your descendants; don't be a douche.

No comments:

Post a Comment