Fascinating Week
April 23, 2011
Reflecting on the week's correspondence (public and private) a number of thoughts come to mind:
1. The responses fell into three broad categories: (a) Trueman was spot on (and no, those ones didn't come in from my mum writing under pseudonyms -- at least, I don't think so - she uses British spelling) (b) Trueman's initial post had only remote connection to reality (even though he did not name the conference and ever correspondent seems to have recognised it from his description). (c) Trueman himself is a figure of varying degrees of absurdity and incoherence. Fair comment (I am totally depraved) and fair approach (those who live by the pen shall die by the pen).
2. I am myself apparently a celebrity. When a man you've never met offers to edit your Festschrift, believe me, you're a celebrity. No question.
But the single most fascinating and instructive revelation of the week was:
3. With one exception, nobody actually wrote to say, 'You know, we are sad that your friend who had paid all that money and come all that way was made to feel small. It was accidental and unintended, but we take responsibility so please pass on our apologies.'
Still, I found that encouraging: after all, love means never having to say you're sorry, doesn't it?
1. The responses fell into three broad categories: (a) Trueman was spot on (and no, those ones didn't come in from my mum writing under pseudonyms -- at least, I don't think so - she uses British spelling) (b) Trueman's initial post had only remote connection to reality (even though he did not name the conference and ever correspondent seems to have recognised it from his description). (c) Trueman himself is a figure of varying degrees of absurdity and incoherence. Fair comment (I am totally depraved) and fair approach (those who live by the pen shall die by the pen).
2. I am myself apparently a celebrity. When a man you've never met offers to edit your Festschrift, believe me, you're a celebrity. No question.
But the single most fascinating and instructive revelation of the week was:
3. With one exception, nobody actually wrote to say, 'You know, we are sad that your friend who had paid all that money and come all that way was made to feel small. It was accidental and unintended, but we take responsibility so please pass on our apologies.'
Still, I found that encouraging: after all, love means never having to say you're sorry, doesn't it?
