Status Updates From Attente de Dieu

Sect. "Love of the Order of the World".

Liked this section, esp the first half, much better than the last one. Weil has some great words about the beauty of the world and how it links us to the divine.

Essay: "Forms of the Implicit Love of God", section: "The Love of Our Neighbor".
Her overall premise here, that ultimately we love God indirectly thru our love of things in this world, I can get behind.
But this 1st sect. was rough. On first read, I find it quite problematic, viz., that Christ doesn't inherently live in ppl; he is imparted from "haves" to "have-nots". Her acceptance of castes also is kind of gross.

"The Love of God and Affliction".
This last section was quite good. Weil employs an interesting analogy or series of analogies to explore the relationship of our human bodies and souls to God's being. Not only is it interesting conceptually, the writing is, at least in one place, dramatic, and interesting on its own. I think these analogies break down with little push, but they are worth consideration.

"Hay que saber que el amor es una orientación y no un estado del alma. Si se ignora, se cae en la desesperación al primer embate de la desdicha".

"Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies with a View to the Love of God"

Pretty certain I was assigned this reading while in Divinity School. Very good work here, perhaps one of the most recommendable of the book. Weil is concerned that we grow our powers of attention, to the task at hand, to the pursuit of Truth, to God, and to the sufferings of others.

I'm in her third letter now. By far the best so far.

"There the conviction was suddenly borne in upon me that Christianity is pre-eminently the religion of slaves, that slaves cannot help belonging to it, and I among others." P.26

Initially I thought this book had the power to return me back into my faith-yet the further I read, the less convinced I am left. As I see it , she presents the contradictions from various Christian literature and directs them as virtues. the continuous glorification of suffering- accepting it as the attention (love) from God makes me uncomfortable.

Reading “Waiting for God” has made me realise how much I underestimated the power of words. I have never felt this spiritually moved and I’m not even half way through.

la amo tanto