GLORIOUS REPARTEE!
Repartee is the very soul of conversation, so it is the greatest grace of comedy. - John Dryden
In the book, Amazing Grace - William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, by Eric Metaxas, I stumbled across a concept defining a behavior in my husband, Darryl, that I have struggled to explain many times during our 42 years of marriage. This behavior is unalterably stamped into his French DNA, an important fact that further corroborates my new understanding. Let me explain.
The book notes that William Wilberforce and his Goostree Gang were well-known for their repartee - the art of responding quickly, smoothly and pointedly in their interchanges. In fact, one of their favorite pastimes was trading quips - what they called "foyning," or "foining."
The term "to foin" - originally French - means to thrust, as with a rapier sword. "Foining" swordplay with lighter swords and rapiers had replaced the earlier kind of swordplay with broadswords, which involved cutting and slashing. So "to foin" meant to parry deftly and thrust with one's wits; the term "rapier wit" is a cousin of "foining." It was an era in which wit was greatly valued, and Wilberforce and his friends, all inveterate wits, were dubbed by Edward Eliot "the Foinsters." p. 28
A rapier is a straight two-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade used for thrusting - in contrast to the broadsword - a sword with a long blade used for cutting. So, to parry with the rapier sword in the context of foining - is to lunge at others with a kind of teasing wit which is imaginatively perceptive and articulate. The banter that follows this lunge evokes laughter - even the sidesplitting, rollicking kind - in appreciation of the verbal ingenuity it requires.
The sharper the rapier wit - the more ability there is to relate what appears to be seemingly disparate things. Rapier wit is a kind of genius with a special proclivity for the incongruous - combining two things which are not normally meant to be compatible with each other! This type of wit automatically captures attention, arouses interest, and amuses.
On the upside, when wit becomes a firmly entrenched habit in an individual like Darryl, who is naturally good at it and continues to sharpen it, this gift thrusts him into the realm of effective speaking and teaching. God has blessed Darryl over and over through the years - using wit to break down resistance, woo and illuminate - individuals as well as whole congregations. As I have looked on, I am certain it is prized today just as much as it was in Wilberforce's day. We love it, we are drawn to it, we want to be where it is happening! It is some of the best of what life has to offer!
On the downside, however, there is danger! When someone employs great wit and places strain on incongruity, the result can be unpredictable and may sometimes even lack propriety. People have often said to me, "I can't believe Darryl gets away with what he gets away with...!!!!" At those times, he is skating very near the edge of disaster but somehow manages to stay in good graces with people. I think it is because more times than not, he carries hearty fun and entertainment with him into social situations and the comedy he brings is not something any of us want to give up.
In my ongoing research on the subject of wit, I also found a term to describe a slightly irritating but nevertheless still affectionately endearing nuance of foining. It is a behavior in Darryl called persiflage - which means frivolous (lacking in seriousness - and may I add - often at the wrong times) bantering talk. Now, I just shake my head and smile benignly. My little Foinster!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
I've been thinking about poison...
BEWARE OF DEADLY DESPAIR!
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. Psalm 42:5 (NASB)
William Wilberforce (1759-1833), who campaigned for the abolition of the British slave trade experienced a nervous breakdown and his physical health collapsed after a particularly stinging defeat in 1796.
Parliamentary opponents offered free opera tickets to some of the bill's supporters for the night of the vote and the bill was defeated by four votes. Imagine his disappointment and disillusionment!
Disappointment is a natural outcome when aspirations and hopes are thwarted - when someone else's will is running counter to my purposes and intentions - effectively opposing me.
Disillusionment speaks to becoming disenchanted with something that formerly attracted or moved me deeply. I may not become disillusioned as often as I become disappointed but its thwack can knock me senseless and I may wake to a state of cynicism from which my heart never completely recovers.
Even though William Wilberforce experienced disappointment and disillusionment in spades, he did not despair. He lived to see the day when slavery was declared illegal in all of the British colonies. However, there is another person living in the public eye today who moved through disappointment to disillusionment to despair right before our very eyes.
I recently read in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL that Thomas Kinkade, "The Painter of Light," died on Good Friday this year, at age 54, after a night of heavy drinking. I am one of his legion of Christian admirers who was deeply saddened to hear this news. According to his brother Patrick, the genius of Kinkade's paintings was that they kept us on the outside where we longingly gazed at the warm, inviting homes portrayed. His paintings connected to a deep hunger within all of us for the ideal. Apparently, this longing in Kinkade created a vulnerability - an unfulfilled deep hunger - which allowed disappointment, disillusionment and finally, despair, to overtake him. His death is a warning that we must take seriously the insidious poison of despair and guard ourselves against it!
Despair is a perilous condition. When my spirit is attacked, I lose motivation to try and that is what happens when I descend into despair. Despair means losing all hope. When I believe things will never change - never be different, I am walking in enemy territory that is very treacherous - a territory filled with lies and misinformation inhabited by a being who desires my complete destruction.
Over the course of our lives, a thousand disappointments drag us down. How do we cope when simply a break from the daily grind is not enough to do the trick? The Psalmist, with wise resolve, chooses to make his disappointment, disillusionment and temptation to despair, a reason to nestle closer to God. Even though a child of God may know little or even nothing at all about what he is truly longing for, the true object of his longings is always God!
I long for a connected relationship with God where I give and receive regularly - where His presence is help to my soul - the seat of my emotions and desires. I long to know all the mysterious joys and satisfactions of MOVING CLOSER to God instead of MOVING AWAY from Him during times of disappointment, disillusionment and despair. With such an immense God, who can imagine the blessings upon blessings hiding there?
If God feels a million miles away, who moved? I pray my resolve to stand against the enemy and the poison of deadly despair he uses for his advantage will keep me pressing ever closer to my Heavenly Father - the only source of goodness and light in my life. Strengthen my resolve, O God!
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. Psalm 42:5 (NASB)
William Wilberforce (1759-1833), who campaigned for the abolition of the British slave trade experienced a nervous breakdown and his physical health collapsed after a particularly stinging defeat in 1796.
Parliamentary opponents offered free opera tickets to some of the bill's supporters for the night of the vote and the bill was defeated by four votes. Imagine his disappointment and disillusionment!
Disappointment is a natural outcome when aspirations and hopes are thwarted - when someone else's will is running counter to my purposes and intentions - effectively opposing me.
Disillusionment speaks to becoming disenchanted with something that formerly attracted or moved me deeply. I may not become disillusioned as often as I become disappointed but its thwack can knock me senseless and I may wake to a state of cynicism from which my heart never completely recovers.
Even though William Wilberforce experienced disappointment and disillusionment in spades, he did not despair. He lived to see the day when slavery was declared illegal in all of the British colonies. However, there is another person living in the public eye today who moved through disappointment to disillusionment to despair right before our very eyes.
I recently read in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL that Thomas Kinkade, "The Painter of Light," died on Good Friday this year, at age 54, after a night of heavy drinking. I am one of his legion of Christian admirers who was deeply saddened to hear this news. According to his brother Patrick, the genius of Kinkade's paintings was that they kept us on the outside where we longingly gazed at the warm, inviting homes portrayed. His paintings connected to a deep hunger within all of us for the ideal. Apparently, this longing in Kinkade created a vulnerability - an unfulfilled deep hunger - which allowed disappointment, disillusionment and finally, despair, to overtake him. His death is a warning that we must take seriously the insidious poison of despair and guard ourselves against it!
Despair is a perilous condition. When my spirit is attacked, I lose motivation to try and that is what happens when I descend into despair. Despair means losing all hope. When I believe things will never change - never be different, I am walking in enemy territory that is very treacherous - a territory filled with lies and misinformation inhabited by a being who desires my complete destruction.
Over the course of our lives, a thousand disappointments drag us down. How do we cope when simply a break from the daily grind is not enough to do the trick? The Psalmist, with wise resolve, chooses to make his disappointment, disillusionment and temptation to despair, a reason to nestle closer to God. Even though a child of God may know little or even nothing at all about what he is truly longing for, the true object of his longings is always God!
I long for a connected relationship with God where I give and receive regularly - where His presence is help to my soul - the seat of my emotions and desires. I long to know all the mysterious joys and satisfactions of MOVING CLOSER to God instead of MOVING AWAY from Him during times of disappointment, disillusionment and despair. With such an immense God, who can imagine the blessings upon blessings hiding there?
If God feels a million miles away, who moved? I pray my resolve to stand against the enemy and the poison of deadly despair he uses for his advantage will keep me pressing ever closer to my Heavenly Father - the only source of goodness and light in my life. Strengthen my resolve, O God!
Monday, April 9, 2012
I've been thinking about investments...
*UNCALCULATED!
Early in chapter 8 of the gospel of Luke, several women of distinction are mentioned by name: Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out (she witnessed the crucifixion and was the first person to see the resurrected Christ), Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward (she accompanied Mary Magdalene to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus), and Susanna (who is not mentioned in any other accounts).
Many other women remain unnamed in this passage, however, they are referenced because they all shared something in common. They ministered to Jesus and the twelve apostles traveling with Him out of their own financial means. They invested their own private wealth.
We know Jesus' needs were met because even though the Bible says He had no place or dwelling of His own (Luke 9:58), it does not say that He begged for food, clothing or shelter. His needs were met by the kindness and generosity of people like Mary Magdalene, Joanna , Susanna and others.
This phrase "out of their private means" caught my attention as I sat listening to Darryl's sermon on Easter Sunday morning recently. For a few moments, I was carried away with the thought of what an amazing privilege it would be to contribute to the Son of God's needs directly!
This morning as I processed this thought further, I wondered how I would react if faced with the opportunity to make an investment into Jesus' ministry. Walking with Him, talking with Him, listening intently to His teaching, would I offer up whatever resources I had to support Him? I dearly hope so. I hope I would not miss the opportunity. I hope I would not be stingy or cheap, but that I would give gratefully - generously - rapturously - out of a heart filled with incredible joy.
Is it so different today? Jesus' work continues with the body of Christ investing into every need expressed by the human race. I have often considered how if everyone in the body of Christ participated fully in their area of gifting, there would be no unfulfilled needs. Imagine what it would be like if we all gave in uncalculated ways - everything we have, everything we are. It would be a glorious experience to witness this kind of fullness and abundance.
So I ask myself, why am I so calculated with my investments in Kingdom work? Why do I view everything through the lens of self-interest? I do believe that every once in a while it is good for the soul to give in uncalculated, lavish ways. This means, I don't over-analyze until I can find a reason NOT to give.
Ethan, my five-year-old grandson, and I discussed giving recently. He loves it when his mom and dad set out surprises on holiday mornings. We decided it would be fun to surprise them back. Ethan came up with gift ideas for each of his family members. I helped him by purchasing the items and delivering them secretly to his house. Together we tucked them away and we decided he would chose the moment to give them out! Oh, the excitement this caused in his little heart! (He could not help telling them that he had a secret and they were not to look in the closet!!!)
Ethan reported back to me the details of his giving adventure on Easter Sunday afternoon. His face radiated joy as he talked! It was so much fun to watch! I am praying that this meaningful experience will ignite a desire to give thoughtfully and generously as he grows older.
Just like Ethan, I want my face to radiate the same unpretentious joy at the prospect of giving! I don't want to miss opportunities to invest in Kingdom work. I want to invest regularly, purposefully, with a happy heart. I also like the challenge of giving out of my own personal resources. I am motivated to make more to give more - for all the right reasons!
God, use me to fulfill your promise in Philippians 4:19, And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
*BTW - If uncalculated is not a word, I agree with Darryl who frequently says, "Who made Webster God?" I know you get my meaning!
Early in chapter 8 of the gospel of Luke, several women of distinction are mentioned by name: Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out (she witnessed the crucifixion and was the first person to see the resurrected Christ), Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward (she accompanied Mary Magdalene to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus), and Susanna (who is not mentioned in any other accounts).
Many other women remain unnamed in this passage, however, they are referenced because they all shared something in common. They ministered to Jesus and the twelve apostles traveling with Him out of their own financial means. They invested their own private wealth.
We know Jesus' needs were met because even though the Bible says He had no place or dwelling of His own (Luke 9:58), it does not say that He begged for food, clothing or shelter. His needs were met by the kindness and generosity of people like Mary Magdalene, Joanna , Susanna and others.
This phrase "out of their private means" caught my attention as I sat listening to Darryl's sermon on Easter Sunday morning recently. For a few moments, I was carried away with the thought of what an amazing privilege it would be to contribute to the Son of God's needs directly!
This morning as I processed this thought further, I wondered how I would react if faced with the opportunity to make an investment into Jesus' ministry. Walking with Him, talking with Him, listening intently to His teaching, would I offer up whatever resources I had to support Him? I dearly hope so. I hope I would not miss the opportunity. I hope I would not be stingy or cheap, but that I would give gratefully - generously - rapturously - out of a heart filled with incredible joy.
Is it so different today? Jesus' work continues with the body of Christ investing into every need expressed by the human race. I have often considered how if everyone in the body of Christ participated fully in their area of gifting, there would be no unfulfilled needs. Imagine what it would be like if we all gave in uncalculated ways - everything we have, everything we are. It would be a glorious experience to witness this kind of fullness and abundance.
So I ask myself, why am I so calculated with my investments in Kingdom work? Why do I view everything through the lens of self-interest? I do believe that every once in a while it is good for the soul to give in uncalculated, lavish ways. This means, I don't over-analyze until I can find a reason NOT to give.
Ethan, my five-year-old grandson, and I discussed giving recently. He loves it when his mom and dad set out surprises on holiday mornings. We decided it would be fun to surprise them back. Ethan came up with gift ideas for each of his family members. I helped him by purchasing the items and delivering them secretly to his house. Together we tucked them away and we decided he would chose the moment to give them out! Oh, the excitement this caused in his little heart! (He could not help telling them that he had a secret and they were not to look in the closet!!!)
Ethan reported back to me the details of his giving adventure on Easter Sunday afternoon. His face radiated joy as he talked! It was so much fun to watch! I am praying that this meaningful experience will ignite a desire to give thoughtfully and generously as he grows older.
Just like Ethan, I want my face to radiate the same unpretentious joy at the prospect of giving! I don't want to miss opportunities to invest in Kingdom work. I want to invest regularly, purposefully, with a happy heart. I also like the challenge of giving out of my own personal resources. I am motivated to make more to give more - for all the right reasons!
God, use me to fulfill your promise in Philippians 4:19, And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
*BTW - If uncalculated is not a word, I agree with Darryl who frequently says, "Who made Webster God?" I know you get my meaning!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)