John L. King

“This is, indeed, an insightful observation. The Archbishop [Joseph L. Berardin] insists that the natural resemblance between Christ and his priests must not stop merely with the fact that they share a common masculinity. Our question is, 'Why must it BEGIN there?' If the faithful cannot see Christ in a male who exemplifies no godlike virtues - humility, gentleness, and self-effacing service - can they not see him in a female who does? Indeed, if the priest acts 'in persona Christi,' not 'in masculinitate Christi,' then 'NATURAL resemblance' between Christ and the priest, it would seem, does not entail PHYSICAL, that is SEXUAL resemblance, but a resemblance which is natural to the SPIRITUAL order with which the worshiping congregation has to do. And in this order there is neither male nor female, even as there is neither Jew nor Greek. We would, therefore, conclude that since the Word was made flesh, as the apostle John has declared him (John 1:14), we rightly heed those who, in the flesh, symbolize his presence as they speak and act in his name. But we see no reason to add to what the apostle said by insisting that the Word was made MALE flesh, for both male and female are equally bearers of the divine image. And since God created humankind in his image, male AND female, we can only conclude that women as well as men should be ordained to the priesthood, because femaleness, like maleness, is a fitting symbol (sacramental sign) of Deity.””

“He found himself thinking of somethingBarry Grieg had once said to him about a rhythm guitar player from L.A., a guynamed Jory Baker who was always on time, never missed a practice session, orfucked up an audition. Not the kind of guitar player that caught your eye, noshowboat like Angus Young or Eddie Van Halen, but competent. Once, Barry hadsaid, Jory Baker had been the driving wheel of a group called Sparx, a groupeverybody seemed to think that year's Most Likely to Succeed. They had a soundsomething like early Creedence: hard solid guitar rock and roll. Jory Baker haddone most of the writing and all of the vocals. Then a car accident, brokenbones, lots of dope in the hospital. He had come out, as the John Prine song says, with a steel plate in his head and a monkey on his back. He progressedfrom Demerol to heroin. Got busted a couple of times. After a while he was justanother street-druggie with fumble fingers, spare-changing down at the Greyhoundstation and hanging out on the strip. Then, somehow, over a period of eighteenmonths, he had gotten clean, and stayed clean. A lot of him was gone. He was nolonger the driving wheel of any group, Most Likely to Succeed or otherwise, buthe was always on time, never missed a practice session, or fucked up anaudition. He didn't talk much, but the needle highway on his left arm haddisappeared. And Barry Grieg had said: 'He's come out the other side.' That wasall. No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the personyou become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell. There are nomaps of the change. You just . . . come out the other side.Or you don't.””

“Susannah: (sotto voce) Everybody's a goddam critic.Jake: Blaine, I have one more.Blaine: EXCELLENT.Jake: Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came sweetness.Blaine: (amused) THIS RIDDLE COMES FROM THE HOLY BOOK KNOWN AS 'OLD TESTAMENT BIBLE OF KING JAMES.' IT WAS MADE BY SAMSON THE STRONG. THE EATER IS A LION; THE SWEETNESS IS HONEY, MADE BY BEES WHICH HIVED IN THE LION'S SKULL. NEXT? YOU STILL HAVE TIME, JAKE.Jake: (shaking his head negatively) I've told them all. I'm done.Blaine: (as John Wayne) SHUCKS, L'IL TRAILHAND, THAT'S A PURE-D SHAME. LOOKS LIKE I WIN THAT THAR GOOSE, UNLESS SOMEBODY ELSE CARES TO SPEAK UP. WHAT ABOUT YOU, OY OF MID-WORLD? GOT ANY RIDDLES, MY LITTLE BUMBLER BUDDY?””