Sometimes a noun ceases to be semantics and becomes more like punctuation, particularly "God." Let us compare four examples, two from CS Lewis' The Great Divorce and two from different works by Poul Anderson. (Unsurprisingly, the two works by Anderson feature the Time Patrol and the Old Phoenix. These texts are inexhaustible.)
"'Oh, Keith, welcome home,' said the high small voice.
"Home! he thought. God!"
-Poul Anderson, "Brave To Be A King" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 55-112 AT 10, p.112.
That is the dramatic conclusion to the second Time Patrol story and Keith Denison's closing thought has nothing to do with God.
A famous artist, glancing around the landscape in the foothills of Heaven, says, "'God!'" He is asked, "'God what?,'" then told that "'In our grammar God is a noun...,'" to which he responds:
"'Oh - I see. I only meant "By Gum" or something of the sort.'"
-CS Lewis, The Great Divorce (London, 1982), p. 73.
Thus, God means little more than an exclamation mark although the artist, unsuspectingly, is potentially on the threshold of an encounter with God the noun.
Sometimes people invoke God unreflectingly but then receive an unexpectedly serious response. When George MacDonald warns Lewis not to pass off his dream as a real experience of the hereafter:
"'God forbid, Sir,' said I, trying to look very wise.
"'He has forbidden it. That's what I'm telling ye.'"
-Lewis, op. cit., p. 117.
When Taverner says:
"'You wouldn't want us to lose our license, would you?'
"'God, no,' I said.
"'Not God. Absolutely no idea of that.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Losers' Night" IN Anderson, All One Universe (New York, 1997), pp. 105-123 AT p. 122.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Correct, far too many times people invoke "God" unreflectingly. Which I try not to do myself.
And I think Mine Host Taverner was very serious in his invoking of God.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment