Bari, your introduction stated, “Readers of The Free Press know that I am as Jewish as the Pope is Catholic”. Please know that you are a lot more Jewish than THIS Pope is Catholic! You have always defended Jews, and everyone else, against the grotesque persecution that has again become au courant. This Pope is a trendy leftist undermining the very institutions that have allowed Catholics to practice their faith openly and freely. Between you and this Pope, I’ll be with you every time.
What a beautiful piece to read on Christmas morning as my 6-year old plays with his new Lego set and I’m waiting for my parents to come over to celebrate Christmas. I love the stories of converts who couldn’t help their conversion. They weren’t looking for it, they were actively resisting it (Paul’s foray in Wiccan-ism took me by surprise), but the Holy Spirit found them just the same. I don’t have a dramatic conversion story, but sometime a few years ago in my early 40’s I’ve found myself to be truly convicted, and I know in my soul what Jesus believed and taught was true. I feel so grateful for that belief. I’ve already forwarded this essay on to my husband and Catholic brother. Again, What a good way to start Christmas Day.
“I believe that we are living through a deep spiritual crisis; perhaps even a spiritual war. My interest these days is what this means.”
From this point on he made me want to read more. I’ve felt the same since things have gone crazy. Wishing all of you a blessed Christmas. Today is the reason why we need to continue to remain hopeful even when it appears hopeless.
There are some, such as Mr. Kingsnorth, who come to truth on a long and tortured path. Others, such as some of the treasured commenters here, who always knew the truth and live their lives accordingly. We all learn from each other. There is a growing consensus, I believe, that the globalists and oligarchs who demand our fealty are petty, false gods. The best way to strip them of their power and pretense is to follow the true God. And, we can do worse than to follow the teachings of the one whose birth we celebrate today. Merry Christmas to all. And thanks especially to those who tell me I can do better. We can make this nation a better place. Sending love to Bari, who has brought us here today and engages us every day.
Thank you, Bari, for the continuing gift you give to all of us every day - articles and personal stories like this that cause us to reflect rather than simply react. It is a gift greater than gold.
What is this? A profoundly wonderful Christmas present given by one Bari Weiss to her followers, written by a wanderer who found his way home. Merry Christmas!
True freedom, it turns out, is to give up your will and follow God’s. To deny yourself. To let it come. I am terrible at this, but at least now I understand the path.
This is such a beautiful story. I am atheist turned Christian myself. And it happened to me in a similar way. Sending all the great Love that simply Is on this beautiful Christmas.
Good morning, Merry Christmas to all. What was beautiful about this was Paul's inner search for meaning. I worked for churches in a more progressive-leaning faith that is dying, and I walked away feeling they were failing as they didn't answer the question Paul talked about relevance.
I wondered how it could do something to turn the literal slow death of its older members around, and this article and an interview gave me a path. First, the quest for meaning and the yearning for something higher than oneself jumped out in this article. It was for an anchor of meaning and a community where I felt Paul ended. Faith can give that. The second thing was David Mamet's conversation with Bill Mahar, which I watched in early December. Mamet spoke of moral education and how to make good decisions. We all know the world is fallen when left to its own devices. Having a guide to make great neighbors is essential to any strong society. It's always great to get the mind thinking first thing in the morning. Thanks to the Free Press for that. Everyone have a great holiday.
"How can I feel I have arrived home in something that is in many ways so foreign to me?"
I'm reminded of an early Things Worth Remembering post in which Douglas Murray reflects on TS Eliot's "Four Quartets." Which, when I first read it, brought to mind CS Lewis's "The Weight of Glory" and inspired me to compose a haiku:
How can you go home
Again until you've been there?
Now's but an echo.
Merry Christmas, and may the Spirit of the season turn all our hearts toward the eternal home that awaits.
At first I skimmed this piece. It didn't grab me. I skipped to the end. Liked what I read. Read the whole thing. Thought, I have to send this to everyone I care about. Thought, this is IT. We are rebelling against God. Shooting ourselves in the foot again and again. I'm Jewish, not like Bari--more of the agnostic Hebrew school dropout variety. Nonetheless this essay rocked and soothed me. I'm a sucker for a good seeker story, especially when the seeker finds and what he finds is actually true and good. Merry Christmas y'all. 💚❤️💚❤️
I read this a month or so ago and immediately subscribed to Paul. I was delighted to find him here today. Everything he writes resonates w me. Love him.
Bari, your introduction stated, “Readers of The Free Press know that I am as Jewish as the Pope is Catholic”. Please know that you are a lot more Jewish than THIS Pope is Catholic! You have always defended Jews, and everyone else, against the grotesque persecution that has again become au courant. This Pope is a trendy leftist undermining the very institutions that have allowed Catholics to practice their faith openly and freely. Between you and this Pope, I’ll be with you every time.
A big fat MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!
What a beautiful piece to read on Christmas morning as my 6-year old plays with his new Lego set and I’m waiting for my parents to come over to celebrate Christmas. I love the stories of converts who couldn’t help their conversion. They weren’t looking for it, they were actively resisting it (Paul’s foray in Wiccan-ism took me by surprise), but the Holy Spirit found them just the same. I don’t have a dramatic conversion story, but sometime a few years ago in my early 40’s I’ve found myself to be truly convicted, and I know in my soul what Jesus believed and taught was true. I feel so grateful for that belief. I’ve already forwarded this essay on to my husband and Catholic brother. Again, What a good way to start Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
“I believe that we are living through a deep spiritual crisis; perhaps even a spiritual war. My interest these days is what this means.”
From this point on he made me want to read more. I’ve felt the same since things have gone crazy. Wishing all of you a blessed Christmas. Today is the reason why we need to continue to remain hopeful even when it appears hopeless.
PS…Welcome to Orthodoxy, Paul!
There are some, such as Mr. Kingsnorth, who come to truth on a long and tortured path. Others, such as some of the treasured commenters here, who always knew the truth and live their lives accordingly. We all learn from each other. There is a growing consensus, I believe, that the globalists and oligarchs who demand our fealty are petty, false gods. The best way to strip them of their power and pretense is to follow the true God. And, we can do worse than to follow the teachings of the one whose birth we celebrate today. Merry Christmas to all. And thanks especially to those who tell me I can do better. We can make this nation a better place. Sending love to Bari, who has brought us here today and engages us every day.
Thank you, Bari, for the continuing gift you give to all of us every day - articles and personal stories like this that cause us to reflect rather than simply react. It is a gift greater than gold.
What is this? A profoundly wonderful Christmas present given by one Bari Weiss to her followers, written by a wanderer who found his way home. Merry Christmas!
What a skilled man can do with a hammer
The advanced pilgrim can do with a thought.
One builds their own seat in this world
using God-
the only material,
that is
everywhere.
The Gift. Poems by Hafiz.* Translated by Daniel Ladinsky
*14th C. Sufi
The road to Damascus is long, dusty, and perilous, but the sudden blindness is the source of God's truth and a blessing in the end.
True freedom, it turns out, is to give up your will and follow God’s. To deny yourself. To let it come. I am terrible at this, but at least now I understand the path.
☝🏻
I am terrible at this.....
Me too !
This is such a beautiful story. I am atheist turned Christian myself. And it happened to me in a similar way. Sending all the great Love that simply Is on this beautiful Christmas.
Good morning, Merry Christmas to all. What was beautiful about this was Paul's inner search for meaning. I worked for churches in a more progressive-leaning faith that is dying, and I walked away feeling they were failing as they didn't answer the question Paul talked about relevance.
I wondered how it could do something to turn the literal slow death of its older members around, and this article and an interview gave me a path. First, the quest for meaning and the yearning for something higher than oneself jumped out in this article. It was for an anchor of meaning and a community where I felt Paul ended. Faith can give that. The second thing was David Mamet's conversation with Bill Mahar, which I watched in early December. Mamet spoke of moral education and how to make good decisions. We all know the world is fallen when left to its own devices. Having a guide to make great neighbors is essential to any strong society. It's always great to get the mind thinking first thing in the morning. Thanks to the Free Press for that. Everyone have a great holiday.
"How can I feel I have arrived home in something that is in many ways so foreign to me?"
I'm reminded of an early Things Worth Remembering post in which Douglas Murray reflects on TS Eliot's "Four Quartets." Which, when I first read it, brought to mind CS Lewis's "The Weight of Glory" and inspired me to compose a haiku:
How can you go home
Again until you've been there?
Now's but an echo.
Merry Christmas, and may the Spirit of the season turn all our hearts toward the eternal home that awaits.
First, respect to Paul.
As a Jew following more traditions than religious rites, I would like to see a similar writing on one finding Judaism.
At first I skimmed this piece. It didn't grab me. I skipped to the end. Liked what I read. Read the whole thing. Thought, I have to send this to everyone I care about. Thought, this is IT. We are rebelling against God. Shooting ourselves in the foot again and again. I'm Jewish, not like Bari--more of the agnostic Hebrew school dropout variety. Nonetheless this essay rocked and soothed me. I'm a sucker for a good seeker story, especially when the seeker finds and what he finds is actually true and good. Merry Christmas y'all. 💚❤️💚❤️
So beautiful, thank you! Merry Christmas!
PS to Bari- You are definitely more Jewish than the Pope is Catholic.😉
I read this a month or so ago and immediately subscribed to Paul. I was delighted to find him here today. Everything he writes resonates w me. Love him.