The Digitus Impudicus

 

We are far more connected to the ancient world than we understand or acknowledge. Many people seem to be unaware of anything more ancient than twenty years ago. They have no grasp of, or interest in, “history,” which they think is boring. This is not just the Bible or biblical history. Asking a history question of a random person on the street can at first seem humorous, and then astonishing, and then disheartening. They know nothing and do not care that they know nothing.

Our customs, traditions, fables, aphorisms, and even our insults, often have very ancient origins. What modern American English slang calls “flipping the bird finger” is an example. The Romans called it the digitus impudicus, the “shameless,” “offensive,” or “indecent” finger. It is intended as an expression of utter contempt for the targeted person or persons. The usage of the hand sign was ancient before the Romans mentioned it.

The middle finger is extended, with the first and third fingers curled towards the palm of the hand and held down by the thumb. The middle finger represents an erect penis and the knuckles of the curled fingers represent the testicles. The hand gesture is obviously a reference to a more overt insult, bending over and spreading the buttocks toward the one being insulted.

The gesture was obviously known at least as early as the 4^th Century BC/BCE in Athens, Greece, when Diogenes of Sinope publicly expressed his feelings towards the Greek orator, Demosthenes. The gesture was also mentioned in the 5^th Century BC/BCE by Aristophanes in his comedic play, The Clouds. Tacitus mentions that the “barbarian” Germans used the gesture to insult advancing Roman armies before battle.

The historian Josephus links the insult to a major event affecting the Jewish people about 50 BC/BCE. The Jews were gathered at the temple for Passover when “one of the soldiers, raising his robe, stooped in an indecent attitude, so as to turn his backside to the Jews, and made a noise in keeping with his posture.” This resulted in a riot and a panicked stampede when the Roman soldiers used force to try to stop the riot. Josephus says that at least 30,000 Jews died.

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/jesus/jesuschronology.html

Don’t Serve the Lord in Automatic Mode

 

       

                Have you ever driven home from work and, as you got out of the car, realized that you don’t remember anything at all about the trip? You were probably thinking about a problem you had at work that day or about the argument you are about to have with your wife. You drove a large metallic vehicle weighing several thousand pounds among other vehicles also driven by distracted persons, all in automatic mode, no thought involved. Everyone involved placed their bodies, and even their lives, at risk.

                Recently, I noticed a church organist who obviously looked down and adjusted his feet on the organ’s pedals before he began to play. He was paying attention to what he was doing because he was serving the Lord. At this particular church, there are three morning worship services so this was the third time the organist had played that morning.  He gave the third performance as much of himself as he did the first.

               "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24.

                Be intentional, not automatic. Not just while playing the organ, but also at work, while washing dishes, while working at the free clinic, and while driving home from work.