View from Chapel Window, Pizzaonian Monasteries, Pizzaonia - Image courtesy
of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator
Disclaimer: The Pizzaonian Council of Monks (PCM) and pizza conglomerate, Pizza digogo DiVinci are concerned when a prominent and respected figure in Pizzaonian politics like Brother Giovanni engages in an activity many Pizzaonians consider weird at best and psychotic at worst.
However, in the interests of full disclosure, we support The Pizzaonian’s decision to publish these letters and conversations between Brother Giovanni and the man he calls “Jesus.” All letters are published as received without editing of any kind. Sister Veronica, Supreme Pizzaonian
Dear Giovanni,
Forgive me for again not writing sooner. I know that I am not expected to show such fundamental human traits as procrastination, but I do get overcome by events.
As you know, I have been spending sometime in the Middle East, and in a word or two let me say, “what a mess!’
If your history shows the Romans as bad, you should see the current crop of small-time empire builders here now. It gets so confusing with so many factions vying for power, that even I can’t understand who is who without a program.
I like to keep this light, but that is impossible here. You have so many megalomaniac political incompetents that are causing so much misery and pain it is hard to describe fully how bad it is.
As you know, I can only intervene so far - free will and other stuff like that. However, it is not easy. I was checking over the prayer list from some of the main players here and even that is hard to deal with – they are all asking for us to help smite the other guy. Without going over the details their idea of smiting is pretty brutal.
The other day I was taken to task by this young man who wanted to know how I knew what all the their prayers were about since they were not all praying to the same God. Well I hate to let the word out, but they all end up in the same place.
There are going to be a lot of surprised faces when they arrive in the next life – and many of them are going to be flabbergasted when they get the full story. However, enough of this - as you know a lot of people get very upset with me when I talk more than I should. What else is new – remember the parables and all the talk they still create.
I have been reading some excerpts from recent books written about me. It seems using my name can still get you on the best sellers list. I do get a kick out of the notion that I am considered a revolutionary. I guess by their standards “loving your neighbor as yourself” is considered pretty rebellious. Somehow I always had the notion that was the way it was supposed to be.
I need to move along, but before I leave I can’t help but comment on the political situation in the United States. I know it is a major topic in Pizzaonia. The thing that always occurs to me when I am in the Middle East is the difference between these two worlds.
In the Middle East the issue is survival – life and death – and people who live with this terror every day. The problems in the West are the problems of well-fed people concerned with the quality of life – not whether they will still have life at the end of the day. Add to this as I mentioned before, the pain and horror that go on with essentially helpless people being uprooted and running for their lives.
And what troubles me the most is the countries powerful enough to do something about the daily horror that I witnessed are so caught up with their own myopic problems, the tragedy that plays out here every day is totally ignored.
Sorry, didn’t mean to go off like that – but you get the point.
Before I go, I wanted to share with you a quote I read in one of the airline magazines on my flight back. (Yes, I do fly commercial like everyone else, and yes I do fly coach.)
"All
Congresses and Parliaments have a kindly feeling for idiots, and a compassion
for them, on account of personal experience and heredity." Mark Twain
This could explain a lot.
When you write let me know what you think of Francis, the new pope. Till next time,
Your friend,
Jesus
Comments