Aeneid Books VI-VIII: War, Faith, and How We Should Live Sophia Colbert
I could not help but laugh at the escalated turn that book VII took. One moment, the ex-Trojans and Latins are on fantastic terms, in the next moment, almost all of Italy is gearing up for war! However, the king, Latinus, wanted nothing to do with war. In fact, when the mobs gathered outside his palace, he gave up on life. He shut himself in his room, depressed. He did not even think about touching the gates of war. There are some lessons we should draw on that. First, we need to stand firm when we know something is wrong. The book described Latinus as a sea cliff that stands fast against the wind and waves. He is not budging in his decision of war, but the way he handles it is not ideal, which leads to the second lesson: when no one else agrees with you, do not retreat! Latinus was the king. Surely, there was something he could have done, some action he could have taken to calm things down. Instead, he shut himself inside his palace, turning a blind eye to the chaos. Not only should we recognize right from wrong, but we need to take a stand on it, which means taking action of some sort. Most likely, we won't be faced with thousands of people on our doorstep demanding war, which means the stakes won't be as high. But if it means losing some friends, take that stance. Don't compromise your own beliefs, and don't hide from the world when it turns against you.
On another note, I could not help but notice that Aeneas is more devoted and faithful to his gods than some Christians to the true God, myself included. When Aeneas faces a task bigger than himself, his immediate reaction is to drop to his knees and pray. Never does he try to do stuff in his own strength. He always checks with the gods before making a decision or looking for guidance. I know that I fail in that regard. When something big comes up, I try rolling up my sleeves and doing it on my own. You can guess how that turns out. If Aeneas were a biblical character, he definitely would have made it in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. We should be more like Aeneas, always turning to God and looking to Him for wisdom and guidance.
P.S. I commented on Will and Eliza's posts.
On another note, I could not help but notice that Aeneas is more devoted and faithful to his gods than some Christians to the true God, myself included. When Aeneas faces a task bigger than himself, his immediate reaction is to drop to his knees and pray. Never does he try to do stuff in his own strength. He always checks with the gods before making a decision or looking for guidance. I know that I fail in that regard. When something big comes up, I try rolling up my sleeves and doing it on my own. You can guess how that turns out. If Aeneas were a biblical character, he definitely would have made it in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. We should be more like Aeneas, always turning to God and looking to Him for wisdom and guidance.
P.S. I commented on Will and Eliza's posts.
We all can definitely take some notes from Aeneas and his faith, despite knowing that his was unfortunately directed at gods that aren't real. I'm like you, though. I always try to do everything by myself until I absolutely can't anymore, and at this point I'm usually to frustrated or embarrassed to dare seek help from anyone, God included. Aeneas' knee-jerk reaction to fall to his knees in prayer is something we should all learn from. He has his priorities in order for sure!
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