The Great Books

Many years ago, I bought a set of the Great Books.  I was operating under some illusion that I would have time to read them.  Somehow it was never quite a priority, although, I had read a few during my college years.  (I am one of the strange characters who actually did reading assignments.)


Now that I am retired, I have decided to renew the effort to make myself "truly educated."  Perhaps this can be accomplished before "my time comes," or maybe not.


My son says that if he had the set and any such inclinations, he would read those that interested him first.  I know if I do that, I will never read some of them.  


For example, I am currently slogging through The Iliad of Homer.  I am quite weary of page after page of detailed descriptions as to who was killed and how. Armor rattles as men fall headlong. Others are decapitated and their heads roll along.  All the while the gods and goddesses are behind the scenes helping some and undermining others.  


The gods and goddesses are, of course, not in agreement, so a great deal of mayhem ensues.  Some of it inexplicable to mortals, but some of it suspected by man as the whim of the gods.
I really dislike this view of deity and the world view that results.  What purpose is there to having gods, if they behave the same way human beings do?  They lie.  They cheat.  They run around behind each others backs with vindictive objectives.  Mortals can rarely be certain if the gods will help or harm them.


I far prefer my concept of God...just one God.  He is omnipotent, omniscient, a definer of Truth, a righteous judge, and He loves me.  As long as that is the case, all is well even when it doesn't appear to be well.   


Poor Priam and Hector and Ulysses and Menelaus and Achilles and Agamemnon and all those other souls.  Pity the Trojans and the Argives...all subject to the caprices of lesser gods and never sure if the hecatomb they offered was adequate to win favor.


I worship an unchanging and totally reliable God.