Alice has fallen down a rabbit hole, seen a talking rabbit, shrunk to 10 inches. Now she’s growing to nine feet… ‘Curiouser and curiouser’! Her completely bonkers Wonderland adventures are only just beginning…
Curious Signs…
Last weekend we watched Lowestoft Town. This sign was beside the pitch. If everybody must ‘Keep off the Grass’ how can they play football?
A shop with ‘Menswear’ above the door… looked like ‘Men swear’. I didn’t know if that was an observation, a command, or a requirement for men entering the shop.
A pub boasted ‘Large Family Garden’. ‘Large garden for families’ or ‘Garden for large families’? Is a large family one with more than four children, or one with everyone over 100kg?
Curious Saints…
Followers of Francis of Assisi…
Angela of Foligno prayed to be ‘free from all attachments’. Her husband, sons and mother all died of the plague. She saw these deaths as an answer to her prayers…
Veronica Giuliani was devoted to Christ. The marks of the crown of thorns appeared on her forehead; later the five wounds of crucifixion (stigmata) appeared on her body.
Joseph of Cupertino often appeared to be in a trance. When he was 27, he levitated… over 70 subsequent levitations are recorded.
Curious Scriptures…
The Bible seems to be increasingly counter-cultural and curious… 2 Corinthians…
Politics, sport, often religion… is judged by strength, success and power… ‘…we commend ourselves… in troubles, hardships and distresses; …in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love… (6:4-6)
We focus on money, personal-benefit, and comfort… ‘In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity… since you excel in everything… see that you also excel in this grace of giving.’ (8:2-7)
Curious definition…
‘Curious’ has two meanings… ‘strange or unusual’ or ‘eager to know or learn’… Musing on the curious (strange) may make me curious (strange); it also makes me curious (eager to know more).
malcolmsmusings.org 