(No. IX, 3)
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Kierkegaard, Søren and Hollander, Lee M. (Lee Milton)
Just as man—as is natural—desires that which tends to nourish and revive his love of life, likewise he who wishes to live with eternity in mind needs a constant dose of disgust with life lest he become foolishly enamored of this world and, still more, in order that he may learn thoroughly to be disgusted and bored and sickened with the folly and lies of this wretched world. Here is a dose of it:
God Incarnate is betrayed, mocked, deserted by absolutely all men; not a single one, literally not a single one, remains faithful to him—and then, afterwards, afterwards,—oh yes, afterwards, there were millions of men who on their knees made pilgrimage to the places where many hundred years ago His feet, perhaps, trod the ground; afterwards, afterwards—oh yes, afterwards, millions worshipped a splinter of the cross on which He was crucified!
And so it was always when men were contemporary with the great; but afterwards, afterwards—oh yes, afterwards!
Must one then not loathe being human?
And again, must one not loathe being human? For these millions who on their knees made pilgrimage to His grave, this throng of people which no power on earth was able to overcome: but one thing were necessary, Christ's return—and all these millions would quickly regain their feet to run their way, so that the whole throng were as if blown away; or would, in a mass, and erect enough, rush upon Christ in order to kill him.
That which Christ and the Apostles and every martyr desires, and desires as the only thing: that we should follow in His footsteps, just that is the thing which mankind does not like or does not find pleasure in.
No, take away the danger—so that it is but play, and then the battallions of the human race will (ah, disgusting!) will perform astonishing feats in aping Him; and then instead of an imitation of Christ we get (ah, disgusting!), we get that sacred buffoonery—under guidance and command (ah, disgusting!) of sworn clergymen who do service as sergeants, lieutenants, etc.—ordained men who therefore have the Holy Spirit's special assistance in this serious business.
Source notes
[1]Selections.
[2]The following sentence is not clear in the original.
[3]Matthew 7, 14.
[4]Luke 18, 8.
[5]The last line of this piece of bloody irony is not clear in the original (S. V. XIII, 128). It will make better sense if one substitutes "da" for the first "de."
[6]This suggestion had actually been made to Kierkegaard in the course of his attacks on Martensen.
[7]Allusion to Psalm 56, 9; also, to a passage in one of Bishop Mynster's sermons (S. V.).
[8]Either-or; either Cæsar or nothing (Cesare Borgia's slogan).
[9]"John 20, 19—where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them. Peace be unto you."
[10]This was, until very recently, the universal rule in Protestant Scandinavia and Germany.
[11]"It is to be borne in mind that Danish videnskab, like German Wissenschaft, embraces the humanities and theology as well."
[12]I Cor. 7, 9.