St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

A couple of personal thoughts from Father Blakslee

My favorite modern author is Tony Hillerman, who writes detective mysteries set on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Even though you may not have traveled there you probably have seen some parts of it as many car ads are filmed in Monument Valley, which is a part of the reservation.

Hillerman, who is very familiar with the area and with the Navajo, incorporates Navajo religion as part of his mysteries. For me, reading one of his books is high entertainment and gives me a feeling of ‘being there.’ Some of his books have been made into movies but as much as I enjoy his books, the movies always leave me wanting. They are not nearly so rich as his writing and something is lost in the transition from the book to film. I feel more like a stranger watching what takes place on the screen rather than a participant. There is a disconnection between me and what takes place on the screen—a foreign-ness that is not present when I read his books.

That’s also been my experience with other books I’ve read that have been made into movies and I suspect the same thing will be true for me of today’s ‘must-see’ movie, The Passion of The Christ. I recall reading, in 1967, the gospel stories and feeling that I was part of the story—a participant and an eye witness to what was taking place there. That experience imprinted the gospels on my mind.

Since, I’ve read them many times and for 35 years have studied their background, language, meaning, message, author, and the audience for whom each was intended. I have reached an informed understanding of what took place, how it took place, for whom they were written, and what each means to me, although I must also say that my understanding of them is still proceeding. So…I have no interest in seeing the movie, which is Mel Gibson’s personal interpretation of the various stories told by the gospels and which he has melded together. To be perfectly truthful, I have no interest in Mel Gibson’s interpretation.

I’m not opposed to anyone else seeing the movie as that’s a personal choice for each of us—and I am not protesting the movie. On a slow night sometime in future years, if it comes on TV and there is nothing else I want to watch, I’ll probably watch it—but more than likely I’ll see only those parts that appear before 10:00 p.m.

Another, and different, topic

I thought for a long time that the older I got the better I would understand people. Now, for the life of me, I have to confess that just the opposite seems to be true.

I do not understand why a couple in love, who may attend church regularly, are trying to live a truly moral life, contribute to their church and to other charitable organizations, participate in civic and charitable activities, and are completely law-abiding, generate so much animosity when they want to have a civil and church ceremony that testifies to their unity with one another, all because they are of the same gender.

Some people even want to create laws and a constitutional amendment prohibiting their union on the ground that it would threaten the sanctity of heterosexual marriage. How would it in any way harm heterosexual marriage? I can see no harm to the sanctity of marriage, which some claim results in a divorce of about 50%. Isn’t that the real sacrilege?

How will the action of two people who simply want civic recognition or a religious blessing of their union in any way harm marriage as we know it? How can the happiness and fulfilment of two people possibly damage Holy Matrimony in any way? My guess is, many of those uniting in a same gender relationship will produce examples of togetherness and commitment we all could benefit in following. Maybe we are just afraid we will learn something of value about ourselves from such relationships.

o people who simply want civic recognition or a religious blessing of their union in any way harm marriage as we know it? How can the happiness and fulfilment of two people possibly damage Holy Matrimony in any way? My guess is, many of those uniting in a same gender relationship will produce examples of togetherness and commitment we all could benefit in following. Maybe we are just afraid we will learn something of value about ourselves from such relationships.