December 11, 2007
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Annals of Alethiometry:
The Solzhenitsyn Compass“The Golden Compass is a $180 million movie that opens this weekend….In the book, the golden compass is actually called ‘the alethiometer.’
As any student of Greek would expect, this instrument has to do with alethia– the truth. In the fourth chapter of the book, the Master of Jordan
College tells Lyra, the protagonist of the story, that the alethiometer
‘tells you the truth. As for how to read it, you’ll have to learn by
yourself.’”– Sermon by Paul Lundberg, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary, Tuesday, December 4, 2007.
“Harvard’s motto is Veritas. Many of you have already found out, and
others will find out in the course of their lives, that truth eludes us
as soon as our concentration begins to flag, all the while leaving the
illusion that we are continuing to pursue it. This is the source of
much discord. Also, truth seldom is sweet; it is almost invariably
bitter.”– Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, commencement address, Harvard University, June 8, 1978
Solzhenitsyn is 89 today.
Happy birthday.
