Maugham, Claiborne

My mom read a short story by Somerset Maugham titled “Rain” and asked me to read it too, as she wanted to discuss and share thoughts on it.

I heard from someone the story was anti-Christian, and also that Maugham was a “militant atheist”. In the story he depicted a missionary on his way to some distant islands and exposed the ways he employed to bring Christianity to people. For instance, the missionary and his wife saw dancing as a root of many sins in the aboriginal culture and decided to uproot it. So, they introduced the new law: whoever was dancing – could not sell whatever he made to make living. And thus they reached their goal: no dances anymore. Well, they certainly got rid of some joy in the aborigines’ lives and caused some suffering, but, looks like, failed to bring Love and Faith in.

Well, if that’s the only version of missionaries Maugham met in his life – I’m not at all surprised he was so anti-Christian. In fact, this book is not against Christianity but against what people made of Christianity. And think of that example: can’t trade if you don’t obey… isn’t that reminding of something? Reminded me of the book of Revelation: “and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:17).

His masterpiece is Of Human Bondage (1917), a semi-autobiographical novel about an orphan brought up by pious relatives. In that novel the author’s surrogate, Philip Carey, "looked upon Christianity as a degrading bondage that must be cast away at any cost".

(from Free Thought Almanac)

Not surprising to me. The version he saw was really wrong.

On the other hand, here's something that Christian were and are missing - this Shane Claiborne know what's talking about. We shouldn't be fooled or turned away by his manner of speaking, he's talking about a very important thing, a necessary thing – the actual love, not just emotional love.

We need to act.