"Go right on and listen as thou goest."
   - Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, canto III, V, l.45

Hearing and religiosity seem to be shaping themselves up as a theme today. My beloved came to me earlier to announce that Rush Limbaugh, that pompous, arrogant windbag who has for many years been espousing his conservative and usually intolerant views on the public airwaves, has "gone deaf."
Limbaugh is famous, or should I say infamous, for his roaring diatribes against all sorts of things -- the man has always had the habit of shouting down and ridiculing those who dare attempt to voice opinions or ideas counter to his own. Limbaugh has had plenty to roar at us over the years about everything from the daily operations of the federal government, to what rights, if any, a woman may have to the functioning of her own body.

I'll probably be struck down for saying it, but I find it deliciously ironic that the most overbearing talker who refused to ever listen, now cannot hear a thing anyone says, no matter how much he desires it. The ability to hear has been lost, and doctors aren't exactly sure why. I have to tell you, it feels to me as if just this once, divine justice has intervened directly in the world, and justice has been dispensed. I do love it when the proud are fallen.

The whole thing reminds me of something I'd read right out of the Old Testament. Think about it.

And the Lord sayeth, "Rush, wilt thou cease thy roaring words for a time, to hear the will of thy Maker?" Whereupon Rush did refuse to submit to the Lord's will. He raised his arm and shook his fist to the very heavens and sayeth unto the Lord, "Nay, Lord. I have no need to stem the flow of words from my mouth, for they are sweet unto the ears of men, and Thou knowest full well my words are to them the same as Thy words. Thou hast bid me to make Thy words known unto the farthest reaches, therefore in no wise shall I obey Thee!"

And upon hearing this defiance, the Lord waxed wroth, and did say again to Rush, "Man, thou art too proud for thine own good! Hast thou forgotten that I have also given My words to all men, that they may speak with one another, and not only unto thee? As long as thou makest such a mighty din, thou drowndest out the words of all other men, and take not what they say unto you into your heart. This pleaseth me not, and if thou wilt not desist, I shall rebuke thee mightily for thy disobedience."

Rush said to the Lord, "I care not that Thou should withhold Thy blessing, Lord. What is such a blessing to me? Am I not powerful among men, and is not my voice the voice all men now hear and obey? Do not all men harken to my words and reply in kind? Nay, Lord, I will speak, and men shall praise my words, raising the cry of "Ditto!" to the heavens, and I shall be exalted among men!"

The Lord's wrath was great, and was visited upon Rush. The Lord said, "This shall be the last thing I say to thee, after which I shall stop thy ears. A man who is too proud to listen deserveth not to hear -- thou shalt from this day forth be deaf to all voices, including thy own. Even unto the end of thy days, thou shalt have the remembrance of what I say to thee now as thy ears become as stones."

Then did Rush understand too late the Lord's power over him, for he could no longer hear the bird in the tree, nor the music in the air, nor even the questions in men's voices. For the remainder of his days, Rush walked the earth in silence, the echo of the Lord's final words to him heavy upon his heart. "Rush Limbaugh, thou art a big, fat idiot."

So sayeth the Lord, and so it is.

Excuse me. I have to go hide from lightning bolts.

R.B.