'But the comfort was that all the company at the grand hotel of Monseigneur were perfectly dressed. If the day of judgement had only been ascertained to be a dress day, everybody there would have been eternally correct. Such frizzling and powdering and sticking up of hair; such delicate complexions artificially preserved and mended; such gallant swords to look at and such delicate honor to the sense of smell would surely keep anything going for ever and ever.'
I admire Dicken's ability to make people think.....even when he's been dead for over one hundred years. Really, I just admire Dickens. This passage reminded me so much of our focus on the ceremony, the outward show of greatness when, on the other side of our artificiality, we see a different face. It's pride. I know it personally. It's that desire to not look like the fool and clumsy idiot we can be and we shy away from showing our faults and acknowledging our weaknesses. But how can any of us expect to live humble lives and truthful ones if we can't even acknowledge to one another what we struggle with? Part of being a Christian is bearing each other's burdens but the silly thing is, is that people are hurting, struggling and dealing with sin every day. Each person we see is fighting their own battle, and yet we all want to act like we're the ones who have our lives together, and as if we don't see anyone else weighted down. Why do we do this? I would I could be a more honest Christian, more willing to admit my faults and to bear the burdens of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
