As you were leaving class today a certain student was confronted by Mrs. Gilbreth about his comment about the Minister being "crazy". I don't mean to pick on this student, actually I intend to do the opposite. The comment is legitimate, and the discussion that follows is very important. This is story is a parable (we should all know what a parable is from Sunday school), so there is a lesson to be learned from it. But if the minister is crazy can we be expected to learn from him? Even if you don't think he is crazy you can at least discuss if the method the minister used for his lesson was appropriate. How was it effective? How was it not effective? Finally, I want you to talk about some "veils" in your life and the life of others. These questions sound generic, but I strongly believe that as Christians this is one of the strongest weapons Satan uses against us. We use this veils to hide and in turn become passive followers instead of active servants. I could go on for awhile about this, but I will let you discuss.
Remember to look at your rubrics for the blog and to leave your name.
P.S. Great class today Juniors!
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I do not think that the minister was crazy. I think that his method of using the veil was a very good method, but I also think that he could have brought up the reason why he used the veil. This would have probably given the people some insight and on what the minister was doing instead of just thinking that he is crazy.
ReplyDeleteThere are many veils in my life. One of these veils would probably be my shyness. Because I am shy, I do not talk to people I do not know or express my feelings and thoughts to even people I do know. Another veil could be my Christian faith. Because I am a Christian, some people judge me for that reason and do not listen to what I have to say. This is not necessarily here in Abilene because most people here are also Christians. A reason why that is a veil is because my faith stands inbetween me and other peopl in certain situations.
Veils in other people's lives could be their biased opinion on certain things, such as gay rights, the drinking age, or even global warming. If a person strongly believes in global warming, of course he will not be open to theories against global warming. These biases separate people and cause unneeded conflict over trivial things.
Like you said, because of these veils, we as Christians feel pressured to "go with the flow." Instead of speaking out about our beliefs, we act like everyone else. Especially when our beliefs act as a veil in our lives.
Aubrie Hood
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ReplyDeleteI don’t think he is crazy. I think the minister is wise in the method he used. He wore the veil as a symbol as everybody sins including him. Everybody wears invisible veils but he took the initiative to wear a physical veil representing his own faults and sins, instead of putting off his sin and hiding it.
ReplyDeleteThe veil was obviously effective. Members of his congregation and community definitely noticed the veil. It was a very bold method of teaching which brought many to Christ.
The veil was also ineffective in some ways. The sermon he preaches is "tinged, rather more darkly than usual, with the gentle gloom of Mr. Hooper's temperament.” This causes the traditional townspeople to become very nervous and unaccepting of the minister’s message and point. The change was so disturbing that the townspeople were “so wonder-struck were they that his greeting hardly met with a return” and the girl he was supposed to marry left him because he refused to take it off. One woman even says she “would not be alone with him for the world,” even though this was a man they all once trusted and loved.
The Minister’s Black Veil shows that EVERYONE has sin in their lives. In this story a man took a very bold step to publicly represent his sins with a black veil. The townspeople shunned him and were afraid, although they too had sin in their lives. The story just goes to show that even the most religious “holy” people are hypocrites in the way they act toward the faults of others.
Veils can come in many forms. They can be anything that sets us apart from others, either publicly or secretly. I am not the smartest kid in class and that can set me apart from others. Even though I try hard to make good grades, it comes very easily to some people. I’ve never been good at school, but my hard work helps the veil not control the academic aspect of my life, so I can overcome it.
Gabriel
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ReplyDeleteI believe that we can learn from someone deemed “crazy!” When I think of crazy figures we can learn from in literature, Albus Dumbledore immediately comes to mind. No one is ever quite sure of what Dumbledore is doing, and sometimes people are not sure if he is quite all there, yet he is one of the most trusted and respected characters in his respective literary universe, the Harry Potter series. Dumbledore is kind, benevolent, extremely wise, and a conqueror of evil. We can all take lessons from these traits. Therefore, we can be expected to learn from the minister. His method of living his sermon, though an extreme example, teaches us to practice what we preach. Also, take a real-life example from people like Beethoven and the Wright Brothers. People thought Beethoven was crazy (and he did do crazy things, such as standing in an open window fully nude in the broad daylight), yet his compositions are some of the most respected and frequently used. The Wright brothers were told they were crazy for thinking man could fly, but they discovered something extremely significant: air travel. Where would we be without “crazy” people? We wouldn’t have landed on the moon, we wouldn’t have electricity (Key on a kite during a lightning storm? Crazy!), there wouldn’t be pyramids in Egypt, and we could venture so far as to say there would be no America! Being crazy is not necessarily a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteThere are many different definitions of the word “crazy.” Dictionary.com lists these two definitions, amoung others: “intensely enthusiastic; passionately excited” and “having an unusual, unexpected, or random quality, behavior, result, pattern, etc.” According to these definitions, the minister most certainly was crazy. The minister was enthusiastic about his living sermon, for he stuck with it until the day he died (and even after death!). Also, his method was extremely unusual and required strange behavior on his part. The veil over his face caused extreme discomfort to the churchgoers, as it made the appearance of his behavior different. One girl stated, “…I would not be alone with him for the world. I wonder if he is not afraid to be alone with himself!” His sermon was very effective: if we knew the sins of others, how would we feel around them? The veil, representing sin, struck fear into everyone. Though “crazy” by definition, his sermon was effective.
I think the biggest “veil” in my life would be technology. Technology, though extremely useful, can be a distraction. If I spent less time with technology (texting, Facebook, iPod, etc.) then perhaps I would find it easier to ready my bible before I go to bed or have more meaningful prayers. This paragraph of my response is a charge to myself: spend more time with God!
~Brantly~
(PS: Sorry for posting more than once, I had some spacing issues when I copied and pasted from Word.)
Must man be sane to be an effective teacher? Even if the minister was in fact “crazy,” he would still be fully capable of educating the church congregation. However, I find it hard to believe that the minister was crazy. He was not a senseless, pointless man without intentions of properly teaching the churchgoers; rather, he was aiming to make a point that the church members could relate to and understand. He obviously was an intelligent man, but like many scholars in history, he was deemed “crazy.” Another brilliant man whose endeavors were questioned was Christopher Columbus. When Columbus proposed that the world was round instead of flat, which was the common assumption at the time, he was scoffed at, ridiculed, and denounced. Furthermore, his theories of a Western trade route earned him even more criticism. Though he had a great, innovative mind, the people at the time thought he, too, was “crazy.” They misunderstood him. In his essay, “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson states, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” In the same way, Minister Hooper’s and Christopher Columbus’s well-intended endeavors were mistaken for insanity.
ReplyDeleteThe methods Hooper used in his lesson were appropriate and left a lasting impression. Though he usually strove “to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences” in his sermons, his veiled sermon packed a powerful punch. Besides wearing the veil, Hooper’s oratory methods remained unchanged. Yet, the veiled sermon was “the most powerful effort that they had ever heard from their pastor's lips.” His method allowed his words to penetrate the souls of the congregation more than ever before. It was effective in that it grasped the undivided, yet horrified, attention of the church.
The effectiveness of the black veil did not carry on much farther. Hooper intended it to symbolize the elements in our lives that shroud and inhibit our spirituality. However, his message never fully came across as a result of its longevity; the minister simply carried it on for too long. He wore the veil to his death, never disclosing its meaning. A member of the congregation even attempted removing it once, but his efforts were thwarted. When he reached for the veil, Hooper “snatched both his hands from beneath the bedclothes, and pressed them strongly on the black veil.” By wearing it to the very end of his life, Hooper proved his “social experiment” ineffective, for in the end, no one truly learned a lesson. If he would have eventually taken the veil off after an appropriate amount of time and explained the meaning of the veil, he would have undoubtedly made an understood point. But he did not, which made his lesson ineffective.
Veils do not only serve the purpose of making a point, nor do they exist only in literature. People everywhere have their own “veils” that hinder their faith. Perhaps the most prominent veil is the veil of denial. People who wear this veil refuse to believe that they are lacking in their faith. They believe that simply by going to church, or reading the Bible, or praying occasionally, they are adequately exercising their faith. While these are all good things to do, their intermittent use does not allow that person’s faith to grow properly. In order to fully seize the splendors offered to those in the kingdom of God, man must challenge, stimulate, educate, and exercise his faith daily. In this way he can receive the full benefits of being a son of God!
I also struggle with the “veils” in my life. At times, I find myself hiding behind the crowd, going with the flow, not wanting my opinion to be heard. I stick to the status quo rather than standing up for my beliefs. When peers say a hurtful racist joke, or make rude comments about different religions, I usually neither engage in the joking nor object to it. By hiding behind the veil of conformity, I compromise my own morals. Another veil of mine is that of complacency. I sometimes finding myself becoming complacent with my faith, thinking I am doing enough to fully satisfy my Christian thirst. The veil allows me to convince myself that I am doing enough to maintain my faith, while there is so much more I can do to invigorate it. While the veils of conformity and complacency conceal my true self from the world, I can trust that God will remove them from my face and allow me to live freely.
ReplyDelete(I had to break my response up into two posts because the blog site would not allow me to post it as one.)
Gillian Chant
I do not think that the minister was crazy. I think that the method he used, in the end, was very effective. However, the effectiveness could have been increased if the minister had told the townspeople/congregation what he was doing before he was on his deathbed. If he had done this, the people would have not have thought that he was crazy; instead, they would have considered the symbolism that was originally intended. I believe that everyone in one way or another wears an invisible veil. The minister took this to a physical level by wearing an actual veil, representing his sins and fears.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, the minister’s use of the veil was drastically effective. After his death, the members of the congregation realized the symbolism that the minister had wanted them to think about and understand. The bold action of the minister was concluded by bringing several of those in the congregation to knowing Christ. The townspeople even admitted that the veiled sermon was “the most powerful effort that they had ever heard from their pastor's lips.” However, in the beginning, not all of the townspeople understood what the minister was doing. When discussing the minister to another townsperson, a woman states that she “would not be alone with him for the world,” and wonders, “if he is not afraid to be alone with himself!” The strangeness and confusion brought to the congregation by the minister’s veil drives a wedge between the people and the minister, whom they were once very fond of. By the townspeople acting irrationally with fear, they perhaps, lost a very dear friendship. Later reflecting on the minister’s sermon about the veil, they state that it was, “tinged, rather more darkly than usual, with the gentle gloom of Mr. Hooper's temperament.”
There are veils in every person’s life. An example of this veil in my life is, perhaps, judgment. Often times in today’s society, it is much simpler to judge people by how they look, instead of looking deeper. I worry about this in my own life. Because I am naturally a shy person, I worry that people will judge me as someone I am not because they do not yet know me. The past is also a common veil in people’s lives. Everyone has done at least one thing that they sincerely regret and are not proud of. Putting a veil up in this situation could mean that you become paranoid about what others think about you because of what you have done. This is a stupid thing to think, however. Because we are Christians, we know that everyone makes mistakes and that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we should forgive others in the same way that he forgives us. I think the saying, “Forgive, Forget, Start Over,” fits in well here. These veils can sometimes push relationships apart, such as the veil did with the minister and the congregation. We should all have our own beliefs and feeling upon every subject, but when we allow that to come between relationships, it is wrong. It would be very unnecessary for people to argue, just because they have different or opposing views on a certain topic.
As people, and especially as Christians, in the world today, we are pressured into doing and thinking certain things by our peers, instead of having a mind and beliefs of ourselves. A person’s beliefs are very important, but when our veils begin to act for us it can greatly alter our lives.
Kristina Kiser
At first, I did not really believe the minister to be "crazy." But that particular student's thoughts have been gnawing at my intellect for a while, and I have come to the conclusion that maybe the minister was, indeed, just a little "off his rocker." I think that, despite his mental state, we can learn from him. He makes a very valid point - that everyone hides things from one another. While these things may be either insignificant or extremely personal, secrets are kept behind some sort of "veil" that we all wear. Whether aware of this "veil" or not, the "veil" is there.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say the minister's experiment was very successful, considering all he really accomplished was running his wife off and causing the others in his community to gossip about him. I think that statement also explains how his experiment was ineffective.
As for the veils in my own life? Well, I could think of a few, but I'm sure anyone could. Whether or not I am going to venture to share them on this blog I do not know yet. What I do know is that I have them and that is that. I try not to hide behind these veils, but as I am only human, I find these veils necessary at times, as I believe many others do as well. Many are aware of my sarcastic and somewhat cynical personality. I suppose this would be a veil of mine. I hide behind my bitterness in order to conceal my real emotions. Sadly, that is all I will share about my veils.
I did enjoy this parable. It was a very clear example of how society works. But now I must bid you all "adieu."
Bryson Travieso.
Q. If the minister is crazy can we be expected to learn from him?
ReplyDeleteI do not necessarily think the minister is crazy. His calm, purposeful demeanor and his eloquence while giving sermons does not make him seem like a “crazy person.” The community, however, does think he is crazy. Instead of trying to understand the symbolism of the veil, the community shuns him. Today, if we meet someone “crazy” we will often ignore them and try to avoid speaking with them. The community does the same thing. The minister himself is not crazy, but the judgment of his peers makes him seem crazier than he actually is. Because of this, the people refuse to look for the meaning of the veil. The people judge him instead of trying to understand him. In a way, this could be the sin that Hooper refers to. Before donning the mask, he is respected and loved by the people. Once wearing the mask, he is thrown aside. He could be criticizing the people by wearing this mask, knowing that they will not accept him. The sin he tries to express is human nature itself. People generally possess a sinful nature. Only our belief in God can help us push away this sinful nature. The community should have tried to understand the purpose of the veil. Had they done this, they might have been able to accept Hooper. With this being said, I do not think we are expected to learn from him, but I do think we should learn from him. What I mean by this is as humans, we cannot be expected to learn from him because it is not in our nature to do so. We naturally shun those who are different without giving a second thought. We should, however, learn from him. Since we are Christians, we should attempt to rid ourselves from our sinful nature and learn to accept others instead of judging them.
Q. How was it [not] effective?
I believe the lesson was appropriate but I do not think it followed through. Those receiving the lesson were not prepared for it. Hooper gave them no warning of the lesson, and he refused to explain it until the very end. Had he explained the purpose of the lesson, the people may have been able to see past the veil.
Q. What are some veils in your life and in the life of others?
I have many veils in my life. I feel very odd expressing them, but I suppose I can share a few. Many people think I am an extremely outgoing, but in reality I am not. I am not shy, I would say, but I am not as outgoing as people think. When I am with my friends, I am very outspoken and sociable, which is a stark contrast of my actual personality. Veils are a constant presence in everyone's lives, and it is up to us to find a way to get rid of these veils.
Amy Heath
I personally do not believe the minister was neccessarily crazy. A bit extreme,but not crazy. But although, going to extremes may have been the only way for the minister to get his message across to the community. By doning this black veil, the minister was able to use a visual for his audience. This method of teaching was obviously affective, because the community steared clear of the minister once he put on the veil. By avoiding the black veiled minister, the community proved the minister's point--people would rather avoid and hide from their sins instead of confronting them.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, I, like every other human being, hide under a veil in some aspects of my life. I have the tendency to procrastinate with my problems in a sense. If I have a problem,I try to take matters into my own hands and manipulate them into righting themselves instead of giving it to God and facing it. Sometimes I sink into such a state of denial that my problems end up being worse than they were to begin with. All this to say, I hide behind a veil of ignorance, pride, and a vain independance.
For people in general, the veils we wear vary from person to person. As Christians, one veil could be the material world. We get so caught up behind the veil of mortalness, that it seperates us from looking heavenward. As we get caught up in our daily routines, we forget the singular reason we were put on this earth--to glorify God and do everything in our power to lead others to Christ. This can also be defined as a veil of fear and comfort. It's a scary thing to share your faith with a total stranger, and one who may be hostile to your beliefs. It is so much easier to hide behind a veil of comfort and do what is easiest for us then to step out from our comort zone and face the uncomfortable.
~Megan~
I do not think that the minister was crazy. I think that he was a brilliant and very pious man who thought he knew what he was doing. I think the lesson that he was trying to teach was (and someone in class said this) that we all wear metaphorical veils to hide the secret side of our lives; he was just giving a physical representation of what we all look like on the inside. His method was attention getting, to be sure, but it was the wrong kind of attention. People feared him and his veil so much that they totally missed his message he was trying to get across. Some did indeed believe he had gone insane: "Our parson has gone mad!" His veil did, however, help him to be an even more effective preacher: “Among all its bad influences, the black veil had the one desirable effect, of making its wearer a very efficient clergyman.” The veil, however, did not help him accomplish the goal he had intended it to accomplish. In the end, he had to tell them that he had been trying to teach a lesson, a lesson that no one had understood or received: "Why do you tremble at me alone?" cried he, turning his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators. "Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful? When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!"
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone has veils. Some have more than others, but everyone has at least one. A veil is something that we use to hide our sins and to help us get in with the cool crowd. We veil our nature as Christians because we think it will make us “un-cool,” and we believe that people will call us “goody-two-shoes” behind our backs. I know it’s hard, but we should try to act noticeably differently as Christians to set examples for others, we should remove the veils that we hide our Christianity behind so that others can see God instead of a bunch of regular teens. Evangelism aside, I think some other veils we use, are veils to hide our sins. I know that if I mess up, in a big way or a small way, I don’t want others to find out. I mean, I’d rather not discuss my faults and sins on a blog, so I’ll leave that alone. One thing I did, I will share. A long time ago, me and a friend of mine were at Mr. Gattis on a school-sponsored trip. We had both been there recently for a party and we had seen that one of the game machines was broken in such a way that the tickets could just be pulled out. We decided to take advantage of this and he bowled while I stole hundreds of tickets. We thought it went off without a hitch. We counted the tickets and found we had taken about 2000. We went to school and soon the principal called us into his office and asked us about what we had been doing on the trip. I wasn’t going to say anything but my friend confessed and we got busted. We had to call parents and return the tickets. My fried returned the card the tickets were on, while I had the embarrassment of turning in a copy of the card to the desk at Gattis. This sin is not something I wanted others to know about (now I think it’s funny) and is something I tried to hide. Needless to say I have tried to avoid stealing since then. So we all hide behind veils, some of which should be removed while others should remain until we can deal with the problem that lies behind it. I may be mistaken on what you think a veil is, and if I am, I’m sorry. I think everyone struggles with this veil issue and I think that’s the way it’s always going to be.
I think that he was not crazy. I also think that his lesson was appropriate but I do think he should of finished it a little differently. He had good exicution on his lesson but he did not get his point across to the village. I think he should of told the people what the veil symbolized and what his veil hides in his life. If he would of done that then the people would of been more impacted by the veil instead of scared of it.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple veils in my life. One of them is my shyness. It makes me act differently with different people to fit in. I do not like doing this, I wish that I could be the same person with everyone so that I am not trying to remember who I really am.
I think everyone has veils. Some people have the same veils that I do but others have completly different ones like judging poeple, cursing, or bullying others. But no matter what veil each person wears they all hurt others just as hard.
Yes I believe that we can. I do not believe that he was crazy, but even if he was, who's to say he had nothing to teach? In a way, if he was crazy, he had more truth than a sane person. Insane people believe in one or a few things adamantly and with no doubts. That's alot more than can be said for the sane people that change their beliefs quite often. I think the minister's way of teaching worked very well. He had a point to prove and he made it. Perhaps he knew his congregation and knew that they would respond how they (and some of us today still do) always do: nodding of the heads, some "hear hear"s but no one really listening to him. They all HEARD him, but no one was LISTENING. There's a vast difference. Hearing is hearing the words, acknowledging what is being said. Listening is hearing the words and applying them to your personal life and actually thinking about what is being said. So, instead of the "norm" of preaching and lecturing, he did something outside of the box that he knew would get his congregation's attention and actually get them thinking. My music minister preaches sometimes when my preacher is out of town. He does things a little unorthodox. One time he brought this HUGE canoe. He brought it up to the front of the church and just kept it there and sat on a stool in the boat while preaching. He was preaching on getting out of your comfort zone. Well, he certainly got out of his and made us get out of ours. He made his point hit home more and harder by using a visual aid. This is exactly what the minister was doing and it obviously worked. Some people though, thought it was a little too different and closed him off because of what he looked like before he could get a word in.
ReplyDeleteVeils in my life... well, I think I hide behind a veil of fear of failure mostly. My veil of fear of failure comes from many different places. A lot of the time I'm afraid that I will fail my God. I want so much to be used by Him and to be able to do his work for him and have people look at me and just SEE Christ pouring through me like a light to everyone. I'm afraid that I will fail when I get a chance to show my faith out. I'm also afraid of failing my parents, friends, and adults that have high expectations for me. I strive to be the best that I possibly can in all that I do, but what if I fail after I've given it everything that I have? I'll be stuck trying to run up a hill that I keep sliding down. I suppose that me trying hard all the time puts a veil over my own insecurities about things.
Everyone in the world has flaws and insecurities about themselves. A lot of people share the same one: wanting to be accepted. I think a lot of people conform to the world around them just to be accepted by other people with the same insecurities...and that concept makes no sense what so ever to me. I believe that everyone needs to face whatever it is that bothers them, makes them weak, or drains them of courage. Because by doing so, it makes them a stronger, better, braver, more confident person.
--mallory jean
The minister’s method might not have been the best one, but I don’t think that would classify him as being “crazy.” I think that his idea of wearing a veil to symbolize the people hiding their sin to be a good one in theory, but in reality, I found it to be not as successful.
ReplyDeleteIn practice, Mr. Hooper’s black veil only scared the people: “’Our parson has gone mad!’ cried Goodman Gray, following him across the threshold.” Yes, it did catch their attention, but was it in the right way? Did they really connect the minister’s black veil with their own veil of secrets? Well, one problem with Mr. Hooper’s method was that he did not explain his reasoning behind him wearing it until he was on his death bed.
In theory, Mr. Hooper’s black veil would cause the people to realize that they were hiding the sin in their lives with lies and other “black” things. Reverend Hooper thinks of it this way, “’There is an hour to come,’ said he, ‘when all of us shall cast aside our veils. Take it not amiss, beloved friend, if I wear this piece of crape till then.’"
I happen to have, as most do, veils in my life. When around my friends I tend to act how I feel they want me to. Sometimes I feel that I am conforming to much to others “requirements.” I find myself an intelligent, philosophical being when I am with one person, and a simple, fun-loving child with the next. I think this is because I am to afraid to just be who I am. I am afraid that people will find me boring and depressing. Many people struggle with veils in their lives, many much worse than mine, so I am thankful that I struggle with this.
-Katie May
Yes; the method may have been questionable but very effective. It’s hard not to take notice when someone starts wearing a veil to cover their face constantly, it can cause people to think about it. In the story however it was ineffective because no one believed he was trying to prove a point. We have all done things that we are not proud of so we hide them from the world; this in turn, causes them to eat away at you from the inside.
ReplyDeleteI think that using his veil was an effective method because it caused him to gain much attention. The people were so curios about his veil, they always came to him. I think many of us use veils in our own lives to hide things that we are ashamed of. Everyone has their dark secrets and everyone has a past. I think that it is when we let our "veils" become visible that people then become curious and try to uncover it just as the wanted to uncover the minister's face in the story.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think the minister was being crazy. I just think he was going a little over the top trying to prove his point that every person has a black veil that covers something. The only way the minister was being effective was that he thought what he was doing would help people realize that he was right in what he taught. It wasn’t effective, however, because no one thought he was serious in what he was doing. They thought that he was just over exaggerating.
ReplyDeleteI probably have too many veils to count, and some of them are really personal. One that I don’t mind telling is that I sometime want to smack some knowledge my sister. She thinks and acts like she is an older child and becomes such a pain in the butt. I still love her, but it feels like it is slowly disappearing into nothing, and it really hurts me, but I don’t know what to do to stop it. Everything I do to try and make her happy is canceled because she is always so pissed of.
I don’t think that the minister was mostly crazy in how he set out on wearing a black veil towards the town’s people. Yes. I do agree to some extent, that he did have some form of mental deformation that led him to be unstable at times. His lessons were true in what he taught though and what he had set out to teach; just the output of it all was a little too extreme at times. In the end though, the congregation did learn the lesson he, the minister, wanted to teach them; it just took him dyeing for them to figure the meaning out. So in conclusion it was an effective physical sermon that the minister taught towards his congregation, and yet it also was not affective until his death. The minister’s greatest and final sermon was only a few words saying, “Why do you tremble at me alone? Tremble also at each other!...I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a Black Veil!” The minister’s teachings were eccentric, but beyond it all was that single message. We all have a Black Veil and we all become judgmental to those whose veils are more visible than others. We alone are sinners judging sinners. Our own minds look not towards ourselves at first, but towards others. That is human nature, of course, but is a part of nature in which Christians should set themselves apart from. Even when accused of such discord in whether the sinner is to condemned or not we deny that is has happened, our own sin! ‘“Never!’ cried the veiled clergyman. ‘On earth, never!’ ‘Dark old man!’ exclaimed the affrighted minister, ‘with what horrible crime upon your soul are you now passing to the judgment?”’
ReplyDeleteI have had many times in which I have worn a black veil. When my father left my family it seemed like we all wore a black veil out of fear, church pressure, mournfulness, and lack of words to explain what had occurred. My mother wore for 3 years a veil of morning, defeat in the eyes of others. My sister wore a veil of occupational obsess. I wore a veil of seclusion and of spiritual separation from others even though a smile was on my face. Now those veils still show at times on our family’s faces, but not so much. We have learned to look past what has happened to the family. My mom is re-married now to my step-dad. My sister no longer drowns herself in her work but rather enjoys life with her boyfriend more often. And now myself, I can be seen from time to time as well with a veil on, either related or not to my father’s choice to leave. It doesn’t affect or effect me anymore as much as it used to. I’m glad for that.
The minister in the black veil was trying to show his congregation that they all were wearing veils, emotionally. For example a family is driving to church and they are fighting and when they get to church they instantly put on the "perfect Christian family" mask. Yet after church they continue in their fight which was pointless in reality but not with them. I don't think that the minister was insane quite the opposite. I think that he was cunning in the way that he was trying to tell the people in his congregation that they needed to become honest and open with each other. But the fact that they never got it means that they are bad at charades and need lesions. But in reality the preacher had to tell them at the end when he was dying. It makes me wonder if any of the people took this to heart and said "I wonder what I can learn from this." I think that I would have learned to come to God on Sundays not hiding anything.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe the Minister was crazy. I believe he served a good purpose through his real-life sermon. Even if the minister was crazy, that does mean he did not prove a valid point. It was effective because it caused the town to fear him and avoid him. They would not speak to him simply because of a black veil he wore. The judgment he takes from the townspeople makes him seem crazier than he truly is. Through this social experiment, he reveals the true nature of humanity. The true nature of humanity is to judge what is misunderstood. However, the minister thirsts to show the townspeople that there is another option. Through our belief in God, we can learn to resist the judgmental thoughts. I believe that this was a very appropriate lesson to be taught. However, I do not necessarily believe in his methods. I believe that he could have removed the veil many years before his death.
ReplyDeleteThe veil worn by the minister represents the many veils we wear in our lives. One of the most common veils in the church is the “church face” veil. There are a lot of people who will attend church, or any other place, and pretend everything in their life is all right, when it really is not. The “church face” also comes from the fake religious attributes people act out. At church, many people pretend as if they are the most religious person that there could be, as if they are completely free of sin unlike others. However, this is never the truth. Another meaning of the “church face” is the demeanor people act out at church, being completely different from their true selves. They attend church, worship and send their love out to God, just to get it over with and leave church returning to their old lives.
It is impossible to live out our live as true followers of Christ with the “church face” veil. To truly live like Jesus, one must remove the veil.
Rachel