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To be slighted is to be treated as someone insignificant or trivial, as of no account. We feel slighted, for example, when we demonstrate kindness to others and our good deed goes unnoticed, unacknowledged, or (in the worst case) our gift is criticized by the one to whom we gave it. We feel some of the least pleasant emotions of life: anger, shame, frustration, disappointment, confusion.

But being slighted has a bright side: it can serve as a small reminder to us of the One who was slighted for us. Our slights are of course “slight” in comparison to his, yet their bitterness gives us a small taste of what he endured for us. And by doing so he did not treat us as insignificant, trivial, or of no account.

In my opinion, the finest exploration of his love being treated with contempt is George Herbert’s “The Sacrifice.” In this poem Herbet presents Christ speaking from the cross, and recounting the innumerable ironic ways in which his people received good from him and repaid it with evil. If you follow this link, you will find a version of it that I edited with a few footnotes to help. His Slight is worth your reflection.

Next month I’m going to be speaking at a men’s retreat in Germany, and I checked out the web page of the church. They had a great quotation from one of my favorite authors – and I had never seen it before:

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.

~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Around the time the movie version of The Crucible was released (1996), I tried to read Arthur Miller’s play on which it was based. I say “I tried,” because I didn’t finish. I don’t even remember why, so I can’t make any clever criticisms of it. And, I suppose because I couldn’t finish reading the play, I passed on the movie.

Recently Anya recommended that we watch it. Now Anya has recommended some great movies, such as To End All Wars, so I decided to give it a try. And, overall, she was right. It’s worth watching. You have to endure some very shrill histrionics by Wynona Ryder, but the moral struggle on the part of the Daniel Day Lewis character and his wife toward the end of the movie are intense.

And I don’t know what really happened in Salem, but it was probably as bizarre as what happens in this movie.

I expected much more of Coffee and Cigarettes than it delivered. In fact, the only reason I made it past the first 30 minutes was that it is made up of vignettes and is only 90 minutes, so I kept hoping the next story would be better or, if not, at least it would all be over relatively soon. Eventually there was a pay off: a few of the later stories were worth watching. I especially liked the story called “Cousins?” which turned into a nice parable about a haughty spirit. Another story called “Cousins” (but without a question mark) was good, as was the one with Bill Murray and a couple of hip-hop artists, and a rather touching story with two old men.

So the best recommendation I could give is to rent it and watch only the vignettes I mentioned. If you want to waste your time with the others, consider yourself warned.

I have nothing to add….

I have by no means visited every restaurant in Trnava; much less have I tried every dish offered; but I have made the rounds, so to speak, and I have the swelling girth to prove it. And after 16 months of grazing, I’m ready to declare which dish you should try when you make your way here.

You must make your way to the Hotel Barbakan, Stefanikova 11, and order the Gazdovské Kuracie Prsia (chicken breast in the peasant style). You will be served layers of grilled chicken breast alternating with layers of perfectly crisped potato pancakes, all covered with a gently tangy cream sauce. You won’t find this on the daily menu at lunch – you must request the full menu. It will set you back almost six euros, but you don’t need to order a side with it.

If you return to the Barbakan, note that they also serve the second-best dish in Trnava: Provensálske kuracie prsia (chicken breast in the Provencal style). With this you need a side, and I highly recommend the Sampinónová ryza (stewed mushroom rice). The chicken and the rice will both be laced with mushrooms, and the taste is out of this world.

Dobru chut!