Aphasia

Partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language, resulting from damage to the brain caused by injury or disease.

Last week, one of my blogs drew its leaping point from a word in Lucky's big monologue in Waiting for Godot (see the entry for Qua Qua Qua Qua.) In that same bit, Lucky references "divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia." I could go on about poetic license or the problem of translating from an original language, but as it is typed (at least in my copy of Godot), apathia and athambia are not words as far as I can tell, and I consulted every dictionary I have on this one. Aphasia, from the Greek aphatos (speechless), is real. But the concept of what divine aphasia might mean to someone has actually struck me a bit dumb (no pun intended.)

Here's where I land. From the word order, it would seem that the author is implying that it is God who is unable to articulate ideas. I have difficulty with this. I think that it is simply a failing on out part to understand God. I think it is a failing of human language to ever be able to express God in fullness. I think of God as omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent, and I have a hard time thinking of God as being struck dumb.

And I definitely think my class on Classical Jewish Philosophy, a class I literally took because it was the only one that fit into my work schedule at the start of the semester, has definitely gotten under my skin.