cms@gatech.edu (10/21/90)
Sometime back we were discussing Bede's Sparrow. In the story, someone (not actually Bede) says that life is like a sparrow flying through a Guild Hall. A Guild Hall is a long hall, a single building by itself in which people sat at a long table and ate and drank, at each end of which were two doors. The story is that a sparrow flew in the open door at one end and flew out the open door at the other end. Such is the life of human beings. A questioner whose name escapes me wondered if this passage originated in Scripture. I posted something at the time but nothing Scriptural, as I recall. Leafing through the Bible this evening I found the following Scriptural passage which may the origin of Bede's Sparrow: Wisdom of Solomon Chapter 5 When the count of their sins has been drawn up, in terror they will come, and their crimes, confronting them, will accuse them. Then the upright will stand up boldly to face those who had oppressed him and had thought so little of his sufferings. And, seeing him, they will be seized with terrible fear, amazed that he should have been so unexpectedly saved. Stricken with remorse, they will say to one another with groans and labouring breath, "This is the one whom we used to mock, making him the butt of our insults, fools that we were! His life we regarded as madness, his ending as without honour. How has he come to be counted as one of the children of God and to have his lot among the holy ones? Clearly we have strayed from the way of truth; the light of justice has not shone for us, the sun has not risen for us. We have left no path of lawlessness or ruin unexplored, we have crossed deserts where there was no track, but the way of the Lord is one we have never known. What good has arrogance been to us? What has been the purpose of our riches and boastfulness? All those things have passed like a shadow, passed like a fleeting rumour. Like a ship that cuts through heaving waves -- leaving no trace to show where it has passed, no wake from its keel in the waves. **************************************************** Or like a bird flying through the air -- leaving no proof of its passing; it whips the light air with the stroke of its pinions, tears it apart in its whirring rush, drives its way onward with sweeping wing, and afterwards no sign is seen of its passage. **************************************************** Or like an arrow shot at a mark, the pierced air closing so quickly on itself, there is no knowing which way the arrow has passed. So with us: scarcely born, we disappear; of virtue not a trace have we to show, we have spent ourselves in our own wickedness!" For the hope of the godless is like chaff carried on the wind, like fine spray driven by the storm; it disperses like smoke before the wind, goes away like the memory of a one-day guest. But the upright live forever, their recompense is with the Lord, and the Most High takes care of them. So they will receive the glorious crown and the diadem of beauty from the Lord's hand; for he will shelter them with his right hand and with his arm he will shield them. For armour he will take his jealous love, he will arm creation to punish his enemies; he will put on justice as a breastplate, and for helmet wear his forthright judgement; he will take up invincible holiness for shield, of his pitless wrath he will forge a sword, and the universe will march with him to fight the reckless. Bolts truly aimed, the shafts of lightning will leap, and from the clouds, as from a full-drawn bowl, fly to their mark; and the catapult will hurl hailstones charged with fury. The waters of the sea will rage against them, the rivers engult them without pity, a mighty gale will rise against them and winnow them like a hurricane. Thus wickedness will lay the whole earth waste and evil-doing bring down the thrones of the mighty. END QUOTE That's a little more than I intended to type in but I included it all for (a) context and (b) because I found especially the last stanza interesting in terms of Saint Patrick's Breastplate. It seems clear that the author intends that the bird flying past leaving no sign of its passing is a reference to those who sin against God; those who find favor with God (including those who repent, presumably) will find their reward in God. Let me find Bede's Sparrow again. Ah, Penguin Classics, page 127: QUOTE Another of the king's chief men signified his agreement with this prudent argument, and went on to say: "Your Majesty, when we compare the present life of man on earth with that time of which we have no knowledge, it seems to me like the swift flight of a single sparrow through the banqueting-hall where you are sitting at dinner on a winter's day with your thanes and counsellors. In the midst there is a comforting fire to warm the hall; outside, the storms of winter rain or snow are raging. This sparrow flies swiftly in through one door of the hall, and out through another. While he is inside, he is safe from the winter storms; but after a few moments of comfort, he vanishes from sight into the wintry world from which he came. Even so, man appears on earth for a little while; but of what went before this life or of what follows, we know nothing. Therefore, if this new teaching has brought any more certain knowledge, it seems only right that we should follow it." The other elders and counsellors of the king, under God's guidance, gave similar advice. END OF QUOTE In lieu of the Wisdom passage, it seems clear to me that the king's man is retelling the story of the wicked being surprised at the salvation of the just in language the king is familiar with including a slight embellishment, that is, adding detail to the story. It seems the king's man is indicating that all people are wicked and none are just although the Lord makes us just by virtue of his cross and in terms of our repentence. The new teaching brings more certain knowledge of what lies beyond the second door. We may have discussed this Wisdom passage before and I just don't remember. The earlier part is a clear reference to Christ in conjunction with his saints. It seems to me I read a book once entitled "Beyond the Second Door" which was about the afterlife. Has anyone ever heard of it? -- Sincerely, Cindy Smith emory!dragon!cms [Wisdom of Solomon is, of course, not in Protestant Bibles. I trust we don't need yet another discussion on that... --clh]