Natural Christian Art by Tom Graffagnino

Essays

"The Hemingway is Here to Stay"

"Imagine a number of men in chains, all under penalty of death, some of whom are each day butchered in the sight of others. Those remaining see their own condition in that of their fellows, and looking at each other with grief and despair await their turn. This is an image of the human condition." -Blaise Pascal

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     "...Another form of despair [is] running from the truth of death. It does not succeed in avoiding death, only in avoiding truth." -Peter Kreeft

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    "There's no one thing that is true. They're all true." --Ernest Hemingway

    "What is moral is what you feel good after. What is immoral is what you feel bad after." --Ernest Hemingway

"The Hemingway is Here to Stay"

The Hemingway's
Now on display...
Sophisticate of doom.
His lemming way
Is here to stay.
Abysmal darkness croons.

It's understood
That "feeling good"
Defines for us what's right....
Our lech'rous stands
And leprous hands
Have ushered in this blight.

The Superman
Of Nietzsche's Clan...
Evolvo-Man from ooze,
Keen macho-Pride
On Ego-glide
Deriding God's Good News.

Let's join the crowd!
Pull up that shroud,
So Sin we all can hide.
For Heaven's sake!
Enjoy the wake,
Of Ernest suicide.

His body? Cold.
His bell has tolled...
His sun did also set.
The Lie he brayed,
Big Game he played...
Then finally lost his bet.

So "Cheers!" to you!
Let's down a few,
Straight existential shots.
It's understood,
Right's feelin' good!
Despair is our main plot.

El Toro, man!
El Nietzsche's fan,
Drinks deep from glasses full!
He's feelin' good!
Though soon he would
Be gored by his own bull.

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Dear God, this hearse
Of Mankind's Curse
Keeps rolling through the straits.
But by your Grace
We see your Face...
The face The Liar hates.

You've had Your say,
The Truth, the Way...
You offer us the Key.
But still we scoff,
And push You off....
And say, "I trust in Me!"

The Hemingway
Is here to stay.
The Fall's what Adam chose.
But now...we see,
Bright Calvary....
The Son Who Also Rose.

The Grace He brings
To mankind sings
Of Glory, Hope and Love.
The story told,
Grows never old...
This Plot is from Above.

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"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." (John 14: 1,2)

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." --(Hebrews 11: 1)

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." --(2Corinthians 4: 18)

"...we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary, where Jesus who went before us, has entered on our behalf." -(Hebrews 6:18b-20a)