Feb 27th. Yet another beautiful but cold day, this being about the 7th in a row. Right now we have a half moon which set at sunrise over the western end of Esja around 9am. I noticed the same yesterday but with one notable difference: it rises two hours later. I've seen this phenomeon often and figure it's due to Iceland's northerly position.

A friend and I were talking about her mother, now slowly dying with her father caring for her. People can go along well in their marriage as in this case yet at the end there is tragedy. When one spouse dies, the other falls apart and more often than not dies shortly afterwards. This is a sad state of affairs we recognize but never discuss. Too bad one's last days are taken up by such overwhelming grief.

I know a scholar here well versed in religious studies and a great inspiration. However, he (like many like him) start out their careers with a thesis or book which hits big. This is followed by an appointment to, for example, a teaching position which quickly makes his or her training degenerate. Now most one one's time is spent with administration, etc. During this process you become superficial by repeating previously acquired knowledge. Even worse, the reading one does is quick and without leisure (otium) for reflection, and here I think of lectio divina. So I wonder if it's possible in today's modern world that a person can have sufficient otium. Should a person go this route, his or job would be threatened; it can't tolerate what appears as slacking-off.

I was considering this phenomenon in light of how much of Western tradition has until around Decartes been a series of commentaries on ancient authorities such as Plato and Aristotle, let alone the Bible. This has produced the nutshell of wisdom common to us all expressed in short phrases as "know thyself" and "one day at a time." Since Descartes people have branched out into new fields which has been a short in the arm for the West, yet that spirit of inquiry is tainted by not having time to reflect as I just noted.