James F Morin

Letters to the Editor and Notes to Myself James F Morin

For some time I have been under the notion that people who talk with one another on facebook and twitter, and those who do blogs have come to the point where missals are short and pithy, while sermons and essays tend to be long, and read by only serious and disciplined students: who have existential as well as casual interests. And so I am thinking whether or not it's better to give readers a snippet of obvious interests, rather than a thorough investigation of something in greater detail. I myself am a voracious reader of Letters to the Editors. Most people who write letters to the editor are thoughtful and intense in their feeling and wish to make a single point, usually. One would also think that long sermons on the exposition of the Holy Trinity, would not promote intense interest. They may even be deleted items. I don't read all articles in a magazine, nor all the columns in a newspaper. I ten to think, these days in shorter and more piquant expressions. Was not Jesus who gave us the masterful use of parable and metaphor to give deep insights into living more imaginatively and dramatically: in a few words? He would often begin a discourse like this, "A man fell among thieves, who beat him and robbed and left him for dead." One can immediately see the drama and pastoral impetus in that. Then it becomes a more detailed and more involved plan to rescue the man from his tragedy. That of course was provided by the Good Samaritan, who was like what Paul Harvey, newscaster, used to finish his newscast with, "The rest of the story." I have written a little more than a hundred of short essays which are more int eh form of "Letters to the Editor" and "Notes to Myself," in two hundred and fifty more or less words. After all, I am ordained to do that. I am called to preach and teach and witness. I want to do that with the essence of Kingdom and with understanding.