There is a laugh out loud essay about Catholic mass and polar explorers that is so perfect. I love it so much, and laugh out loud every time I read about the bumbling way we worship especially in mass, comparable to the way 19th century explorers fumbled through the arctic, without succumbing or adapting to the conditions. Seriousness mingled with humor, a version of Dante’s levels of hell and the positions many in Dillard’s mind would occupy. Underneath, a way to explain why we pray and a hope that God sees us as adorable and harmless as penguins.
What do You think about The Annie Dillard Reader (1995)?