We were very glad we'd toted our jackets across San Francisco when the
official Alcatraz Tour ferry sailled away from the pier. The chilling wind and the waves form a
formidable barrier as they did for the prisoners from 1861 to 1963 when the prison closed,
shortly after a successful prison break.
The tour guide gave us its history as we climbed up the long driveway
to the top of the hill until we entered the main blockhouse where the
prisoners were processed and housed.
All the cells looked alike, cramped and barely accomodating a person's biological needs.
George had an interesting insight when he compared Alcatraz with how the monks live on Mt. Athos in Greece. The monks even call their spare quarters, cells.
The fact that one place is imposed and the other is voluntary makes all the difference, but the attitude of living a life of repentance, forced or not, is the same. Maybe some found their salvation there. The audio tour pointed out that the prisoners, sometimes not very educated ones, read a lot about philosophy I guess to try to figure themselves out. Monks also read and think a lot about the human, and their own, condition.
I wish the Eastern cure were more known about rather than such a focus on punishing the sins of a few. These desperate people can only be helped by someone who has conquered their own demons. This is more rare than is commonly thought.
official Alcatraz Tour ferry sailled away from the pier. The chilling wind and the waves form a
formidable barrier as they did for the prisoners from 1861 to 1963 when the prison closed,
shortly after a successful prison break.
The tour guide gave us its history as we climbed up the long driveway
to the top of the hill until we entered the main blockhouse where the
prisoners were processed and housed.
All the cells looked alike, cramped and barely accomodating a person's biological needs.
George had an interesting insight when he compared Alcatraz with how the monks live on Mt. Athos in Greece. The monks even call their spare quarters, cells.
The fact that one place is imposed and the other is voluntary makes all the difference, but the attitude of living a life of repentance, forced or not, is the same. Maybe some found their salvation there. The audio tour pointed out that the prisoners, sometimes not very educated ones, read a lot about philosophy I guess to try to figure themselves out. Monks also read and think a lot about the human, and their own, condition.
I wish the Eastern cure were more known about rather than such a focus on punishing the sins of a few. These desperate people can only be helped by someone who has conquered their own demons. This is more rare than is commonly thought.
Good points, Jared. Mt. Athos is permeated by 1000 years of prayer, as well as a constant and steady routine that nourishes the soul, though I hear that Spiritual warfare is very intense and not all the monks are in the best state of mind. It would be much better to live in a community supportive of intimacy with God and the Sacraments than trying to carve that sort of life out on your own in a hostile environment. The invisible things mean a lot.
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