Friday 10 August 2012

Saint Lawrence - Patron Saint of Comedians

The Beaker Folk recognise many saints. CS Lewis, William Stukeley (although we try to ignore his freemasonry), Teilhard de Chardin, Mother Julian and of course our local St Bogwulf alias Bogwald - they're all good as far as we're concerned.

But Lawrence or, as we prefer due to it sounding more exotic, San Lorenzo, is one of our favourites. A deacon at Rome, he was killed by being roasted on a gridiron - provoking his famous request that he be turned over as he was done on one side.

Lorenzo thus turned the tables on his torturers, proving that Christians, even under severe pain and persecution, know there is a better way, and are funnier, wittier and cleverer than their opponents. This is a belief in which I have persevered, even when considering George W Bush, Anne Widdecombe and that Bono from U2. Although, to be fair to Bono, jetting around the world to tell the rest of us to cut our carbon footprint is pretty funny, isn't it?

4 comments :

  1. William Stukeley was also a Druid, if I recall correctly.

    I approve of your list of saints, though you've missed out Saint Francis (kind to animals and advocated not killing Muslims).

    It's a pity that more Christians don't have such a great sense of humour as San Lorenzo and your good self.

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    1. WS was indeed a self-identifying Druid, and a cause of much of the misinformation about Stonehenge from which we suffer today.
      In his time a reasonable assumption that Stonehenge was Druidic/Celtic, but real history hasn't made a dent in that wrong idenfication since.

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  2. I was wondering why Kate Bush isn't one of your living Saint's? Surely such an icon of the 70's with that wuthering voice should be among the greats.

    And she keeps herself to herself quite well, so we don't have to share the naughty or sordid bits (not that there is any) or how many tattoo's she might have (aka Beckham).

    No, she should be a Saint, due to her discretion, which so many other don't seem to possess.

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  3. In Morecambe, we spell him Laurence, which just goes to show the Church can't find unanimity about anything!

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