Be careful, the road of faith is rocky

May 13, 2016 8:46 AM

Swinging with Absalom Sometimes I envy Absalom. He had recourse. He had power. He raised up an army in his rage. He did something. He turned his rage into an insurrection. All I’ve ever done is turn my anger into words. How can a sister avenge her sister? How can a brother mourn his loss? How can a child reconcile the sins of her parents? (TW: rape)
posted by jillithd (8 comments total)

That's a nice piece; I never thought about Absalom this way:

As punishment for the murder of Ammon, Absalom was sent into exile. I imagine Absalom in those years trying to negotiate the disparate halves of his father. I’m sure Absalom began to doubt not only his father, but God. Did he ever cry out? Did he ever demand that God answer “Why? Why did you pick a man who lets his own daughter be destroyed?” In the Psalms, King David is depicted as crying out to God in rage, begging him for justice. I imagine Absalom doing the same. But in the Bible, God seems to answer David—slaying his enemies, meting out justice—but for Absalom, God was silent.

Thanks for the post!
posted by languagehat at 9:28 AM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

One helluva a piece. From now on I'm rooting for Absalom.
posted by Ber at 10:58 AM on May 13, 2016 [4 favorites]

From now on I'm rooting for Absalom.

I'm not comfortable rooting for the guy who got revenge for his sister's raping by raping a bunch of other women.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:44 AM on May 13, 2016

I'm not comfortable rooting for the guy who got revenge for his sister's raping by raping a bunch of other women.

In this case, the comments were actually really good for this piece. A commenter even mentions this and the author has a good response:

It's really reductionist to look at this and think what I wrote is condoning Absalom's rape of the concubines. Absalom lost his shit. I lost mine. In that way, I understand his rage. But I don't condone it. I also don't condone yelling at people or having violent ideations.

But what I am saying is, I understand his rage more than I understand David's passivity. It's not an easy metaphor. No one is saying someone is more perfect than the other. That's exactly the point.

(Keeping in mind that the author is replying to the commenter and not to Parasite Unseen.)
posted by jillithd at 11:57 AM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

I definitely get the rage; I have my own personal history where given the opportunity my response to certain injustices would have been (to put it gently) disproportionate. I think that Absalom is someone worth considering, and worth extending empathy; he's just not someone for whom rooting feels like an appropriate response.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:12 PM on May 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

This essay makes the impending loss of The Toast so much more wrenching than it was already.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:46 PM on May 13, 2016

What do you mean "loss of the Toast?!"

This was a great and moving essay, and it made me furious at the author's family. "Forgiveness" is invoked all too often in conservative sects to avoid facing one's own failures and not deal with conflict. These parents really sold out their daughter and I am glad she has a sister on her side.
posted by Beethoven's Sith at 3:36 PM on May 13, 2016

The Toast will close July 1.
posted by humanfont at 3:50 PM on May 13, 2016