Wednesday's thoughts

From The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Be there was a more real life for Hester Prynne, here, in New England, than in that unknown region where Pearl had found a home. Here had been her sin; her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence. She returned, therefore, and resumed, --of her own free will, for not the sternest magistrate of that iron period would have imposed it, --resumed the symbol of which we have related so dark a tale. Never afterwards did it quit her bosom. But in the lapse of the toilsome, thoughtful, and self-devoted years that made up Hester's life, the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world's scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too. And, as Hester Prynne had no selfish ends, nor lived in any measure for her own profit and enjoyment, people brought all their sorrows and perplexities, and besought her counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble. Women, more especially, -- in the continually recurring trials of wounded, wasted, wronged, misplaced, or erring and sinful passion, -- or with the dreary burden of a heart unyielding, because unvalued and unsought, came to Hester's cottage, demanding why they were so wretched, and what the remedy! Hester comforted and counselled them, as best she might. She assured them, too, of her firm belief, that, at some brighter period, when the world should have grown ripe for it, in Heaven's own time, a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness. Earlier in life, Hester had vainly imagined that she herself might be the destined prophetess, but had long since recognized the impossibility that any mission of divine and mysterious truth should be confided to a woman stained with sin, bowed down with shame, and even burdened with a life-long sorrow. The angel and the apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman, indeed, but lofty and pure, and beautiful; and wise, moreover, not through dusky grief, but the ethereal medium of joy; and showing how sacred love should make us happy, but the truest test of a life successful to such an end."

Hawthorne has given us a wonderful story and an example of how one takes the disgrace of a life time and finds the grace to use it for others.

Hester had an adulterous relationship. The result was a child named Pearl. She is branded with the letter "A" which stands for adultery. The community shuns her but she remains and ,eventually, she wins the trust of the people. She turns her curse into a blessing. Her scarlet letter "A" becomes a symbol for "angel" not "adultery". She moves from disgrace to grace.

It's a powerful story of love and forgiveness and is to be contrasted with the retaliatory reaction of Herod who became angry at John the Baptist for his criticism of Herod for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias. Herod has John the Baptist beheaded and puts his head on a platter.

The contrast between Herodias and Hester could make for a good sermon. I hope so.

What do you think?
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I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles