I loved the comedic persona of Norm Macdonald. I don't often feel saddened when a celebrity passes on, but Norm's passing nearly 3 years ago hit me viscerally. What drew me to him, beyond his quirky sensibility, was his ability to be reverent and irreverent at the same time. It appears Norm was moving closer to God in his later years, yet at the same time he could not discount the absurdity in His world. And he used humor to get at it the only way he knew how. Norm's off-beat witticisms and mischief smirk could get you to chuckle while pointing you back to a sweet sincerity he embodied. Truth and humor can come together in that way: the Real can sometimes be seen in the gaps that humor opens up through irreverent surprise; and it can be seen in the poking at the folly of false idols that take us away from what should be revered. Norm was definitely unusual in how he traversed these poles as a delightful oddity not from his time.
Feminism has often poses itself as a liberator for the empowerment of women. However, without a limiting principle it has corrupted its intent and disempowered women by suppressing their hearts over their will. Women are no longer celebrated to be who they inherently are: superior beings of strong affection. “A man with a bad heart has been sometimes saved by a strong head; but a corrupt woman is lost for ever” (Samuel Taylor Coleridge).
This brings me to the issue of power and authority; too many conflate the two. I have known many people with an anti-authoritarian streak; however, if I pressed them they would probably acquiesce that they are mostly against power than authority. Authority does not rely on coercion; but instead draws you in voluntarily to its depth. It is rooted in tradition and all things sacred, and unlike power, is also subject to Authority. As the ultimate Authority will always be the source of all authority. Power can only corrupt Authority as a fleeting force, but reverence for something Real can always be recovered. Power without authority ultimately falls victim to domineering hierarchies (i.e. totalitarianism). Such hierarchies will attempt to equalize or flatten out real Authority, therefore creating a vacuum for false idols to rise up with shallow power. When we can see through this imminent charade, and be inspired by a transcendent awe, wonder, and gratitude of existence, then we will understand an inherent hierarchy which we are all led by.