Jack’s Winning Words 1/23/07
“I am not ashamed to confess that I am ignorant of what I do not know.” (Cicero) Marcus lived over 2000 years ago and is considered to be one of the greatest Roman philosophers. And he was not ashamed to admit his ignorance, nor should we. There’s always something new to learn. What will it be today? Isn’t it interesting that Scarface Al Capone’s headquarters was the Chicago suburb of Cicero? ;-) Jack

FROM GOOD DEBT JON IN OH: I’d say ignorance is rarely a problem, pride is the problem.

FROM REV JD IN MN: LORD GIVE ME AN OPEN MIND. A CLOSED MIND IS THE HEIGHT OF IGNORANCE.

FROM ML IN ILLINOIS: holy smokes! i always fess-up to my misinterpretations-oh heck-my mistakes. it keeps me honest and open to the corrections of my life journey. sometimes the path needs a good "compass rose" to keep me going in the right direction!

WHERE DID THE EXPRESSION, HOLY SMOKES, COME FROM? the OED has this from Sir John Beaumont, dated about 1627: “Who lift to God for us the holy smoke / Of fervent prayers”. The idea here is the old one of a burnt sacrifice or incense being a metaphor for the carrying of one’s prayers up to heaven. There are several such references in the Bible, including the Book of Revelation: “And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand”. But I can’t trace any continuity of usage between the two examples quoted above, nor to the later exclamation. What is certain is that it has nothing to do with the puffs of smoke that appear during the election of a new Pope.