Baring & The Mix

Maurice Baring

"Never, never, never talk theology or discuss the Church with those outside it. People simply do not understand what you are talking about and they merely (a) get angry and (b) come to the conclusion that one doesn't believe in the thing oneself and that one is simply doing it to annoy."  


This was Maurice Baring's advice to Hilaire Belloc...which he didn't take, of course.  I really think Maurice Baring has a point following an experience I had some time ago at a dinner I had organised in a Chinese Restaurant.  I can't remember how the topic came up about my religious affiliations but I do remember trying to point out to someone that what they said wasn't true and eventually saying that they were being insulting and rude.  The result was that he and his wife left!


Sadly Maurice Baring seems to be the forgotten man of the triumvirate of Chesterton, Belloc & Baring and he was an elegant writer.  He was in the Royal Flying Corps in World War l and became a Wing Commander in the RAF!


"But the pronunciation varies,
Some people call it Buenos Aires.
A line I stole with subtle daring
From Wing Commander Maurice Baring"  as Belloc says in his Cautionary Tales....though the last two lines are asterisked at the bottom of the page.


Radio Veritas 576 AM
I really must advertise my programme, The Mix, on Facebook...9,00am every Friday.... This week I had well-known political commentator Dr Steven Friedman, Director of the Institute for Democracy, discussing 'The Ruling Party & Religion' as well as Des Lindberg talking about Soirées and my weekly classical music spot with Richard Cock.  He and I talked about the University of Johannesburg Choir and how it has developed from the old Rand Afrikaans University Choir post 1994.  It gave me the excuse to play a couple of tracks from their new CD.  Bob Dillon & Joan Baez were the other musical offerings as they tied up with Des Lindberg to a degree.  You can listen to Des & Dawn in the Video Bar.

Fr Ralph Wright OSB

On a more Catholic note I interviewed Judy Stockill as she steps down as editor of the Archdiocesan News and I talked about a book, "Christ - Our Love for All Seasons.  A Liturgy of the Hours for Everyone" by Fr Ralph Wright OSB.  I think the poetry in the book is not only good, but also thought provoking so I was able to read a couple of his poems.  


Here is one of them:


Jericho 
The man who fell in with thieves 
on his way to Jericho 
may have been going there 
-for all we know- 
to murder his mother 
he may have come from robbing the Temple 
or sleeping with his next-door-neighbour's wife 
-we are not told- 
the man who finds him 
half dead 
clearly does not know 

and God seems to be hammering home 
blow by blow 
the thought 
that worthiness is irrelevant 

all we need 
is to recognize need 

Next week I will add my guests before the programme so you will have the opportunity of listening.