To Do or Not To Do?

Some time ago, St. Peter’s Book Group discussed Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. In that novel, Eilis leaves her native Ireland to obtain work in America. She is exceedingly homesick but finds refuge in accountancy study and finding a friend, Tony. Married to him, she is welcomed into his Italian family, then returns to Ireland, following the sudden death of her sister. She tells nobody, not even her mother, about her marriage and, during her lengthy stay, becomes involved with Jim Farrell. The community is sure the two will marry until news comes from America of her marriage and Eilis makes a sudden return to her husband.

The sequel is Long Island. Twenty years have gone by; Eilis and Tony have two teenage children; Eilis discovers her husband has been unfaithful and the resulting baby must be brought up by Tony’s family. After that long absence, Eilis returns to Ireland, followed by her children, ostensibly to celebrate her mother’s 80^th birthday. Again Eilis says nothing about her real reason for return: Tony’s infidelity. By this time, Jim is ready to marry Nancy Sheridan, once Eilis’s best friend, but they have not yet announced their engagement. Now, moral problems arise: should Eilis just return to her husband and family? Should Jim follow her to America in the hope he will find a job there and be able to see Eilis? Should he honour his commitment to Nancy? Is Eilis a victim or a wrecker of relationships? The ending of the novel is left open.

There so much for our book group (not St. Peter’s this time) to discuss.

Moral questions – probably not this one – assail us every day. In his sermon Canon Tim Bull told us a variation of the Good Samaritan parable, in which day after day, the Samaritan found an increasing number of victims, all needing help. Could he, should he, help them all? With all moral questions, there is much to consider, but we were advised to use generosity, knowledge and faith as our guiding principles. And, of course, prayer….

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgement and light rises up in darkness for the godly; grant us the grace to ask what you would have us do; that the Spirit of Wisdom may save us from all false choices and that in your light we may see light. Amen