Sounds of the World

One of things we should all attempt to do is to read widely – or listen widely if podcasts are your cup of tea. I subscribe to all manner of left-middle-right news and opinion pieces and sort through the flotsam and jetsam to cull out sources that are extreme and simply uninformed. And then there are the folks whose content often comes back to language, etymology, and how this things float in the midst of our culture and life.

One of the folks I read pretty consistently is NY Times columnist Johh McWhorter, an associate professor of linguistics at Columbia University, where he also teaches American studies and music history. In today’s column he writes about the phenomena we have all experienced. Someone near to us on the street, in the mall, and other public forums that is listening to music or other entertainment at a volume that we find inconsiderate at best and rude in the most. I have that reaction whether it is music I enjoy or music which I do not prefer. McWhorter has an interesting insight;

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Coming Ashore

This coming Sunday is the Third Sunday of Easter, Year C. The gospel is taken from John 21:1-19, a scene on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. As noted yesterday, after a fruitless night of fishing, Jesus sent the disciples back out with the result that they just caught a “boatload” of fish. They had not recognized Jesusm, but now they have to bring the catch ashore.  

7 So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. 9 When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

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