It is graduation time in my town and I happened upon Aleksandr Solzenitsyn's commencement speech he gave at Harvard in 1978. His words ring true today.
His words were a warning to the west of the dangers of materialism and the dangers of legalizing immorality in the name of freedom. He put much blame on the media for this situation, "The press is more powerful than the President, the Congress or the judiciary community. Americans have a right not to have their divine souls stuffed with gossip, nonsense and vain talk." He warned that our spiritual life, "our most precious possession" is damaged by the media.
Solzenitzyn was born in Russia in 1918 and raised in the Russian Orthodox Church, a crime in Russia. He wrote a letter to a friend critical of Stalin that caused him to be sent to Siberia and prison camp for eight years, which was usually a death sentence. After the prison camp he was put on a plane and sent into permanent exile, not his choice. He lived in the USA for many years, returning to Russia in 1994 to live in a house on ten acres given to him.
What an amazing life he led from Siberian prison to Nobel Prize. He warned the West of the dangers of spiritual emptiness and called for a return to the teachings of the Christian faith.
Bounce wearing his LED collar for walking at night with his mom, that's me.
For those who like to giggle, I just bought "The 2,320 Most Hilarious Quips and One-Liners" and I will be sharing some here in future posts. In such serious times I crave lots of giggles. Here is one: "The hardest years in life are those between 10 and 70." Helen Hayes at 73.
And one more funny: "You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, My God, you're right! I never would've thought of that!" Dave Barry
