Bald truth and the Dalai Lama

But First, a line from The Mikado

Funny how some things stick in a guy's mind. When I was at high school, I played Poo-Bah in The Mikado. One line has stuck with me for 40+ years:

...merely airy persiflage intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.

Add a little Carl Trueman

This morning I read a delightful essay on the subject...of baldness, I mean...To Baldly Go, by Carl Trueman who finishes with this:

As to my brothers who are follicle-challenged but who faithfully study, pray and preach the gospel week by week, Be bald, be strong, for the Lord your God is with you.

A word for me.

An Intimation of Mortality

I am follically challenged. I discovered this reality many years ago after a few hours on a beach in Tahiti. My head hurt in a way it never had before. My pate had been sun-burned! There was no longer enough hair up there to act as a sunscreen. Talk about an intimation of mortality!

That's how the world with its obsession with youth may see me. But, as a priest, I now choose to think of myself as follically gifted. After all, mine is a natural tonsure rather than a shaved, artificial one.

Sunday Night and the Dalai Lama

And speaking of tonsures and monks, Evan Solomon interviewed the Dalai Lama on CBC's Sunday Night last evening. In the interview the Dalai Lama, the archetypal, 21st century icon of tolerant spirituality, said that sex between folk of the same sex is "misconduct"...in fact he said it twice because Solomon was, I think, so surprised to hear him say what he said that he asked him again for clarification. It was fascinating to hear Solomon and co-host, Carole MacNeil, do a bit of airy persiflage to try and rationalize the Dalai's response afterwards...too bald, and unconvincing? Their conclusion: what the Dalai really said was that homosexuality is not okay for Bhuddists, but is okay for others. They couldn't seem to handle the idea that it is possible to love people when you think their behaviour is wrong.

To Baldly Go

Gosh, if the Dalai Lama can say that and have people fall over themselves to airily persiflage him into still being an okay popular icon (and no bigot), why can't Christians be treated the same way? Could it be that what he had to say could be bald truth after all?

I am bald! I am guy!