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PROSTITUTES WILL PRECEDE YOU IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Hispanic, Saturday, January 14, 2012

(Matthew 21, 28-32)

Enrique Guzmán y Cabeza de Vaca was, as every bourgeois Spanish born in the sixties of last century, a catechumen poorly instructed in the catechism as a child and the perfect pagan throughout his adult life. He came from a wealthy family in southern Andalusia poorly accommodated.



He had studied biology at Madrid, where already in the hall began frequenting brothels. He did not abandon his devotion to the service after marrying and becoming a father of two children. In matters of faith became an atheist and liturgical practice. I mean I never considered reason to believe that neither endorsement for your unbelief. With Christ maintained a sort of peaceful coexistence.

So let them do to his wife, who also walked by the provisions without special enthusiasm. Their children were baptized and celebrated the First Communion and marriage always voted, without a lot, the Popular Party. Than normal.

Dedicated only to your career efforts and attained the rank of professor. He specialized in biogenetic, science fashion, without ever considering the origin of life, only in the same cell development.

In their work environment, the scientific community, of course, God was dispensable, barely relevant to a possible hindrance to forge a good academic record. At the same time, Guzman had achieved the perfect balance of a lasting marriage combined with a relationship lasting at least a sex worker. I love modern euphemisms: professional means, not one who makes a profession but charged for something. There are men most faithful to their wives and faithful to a prostitute, have been infatuated. Professor Henry had opted for two loyalties: to his wife and mother of his children, Encarna, professional and her lover, Gladys.

No talk of contradictions. It was just a usual sign of Spanish in a generation whose existence had been developed in a normal off, a moderate generation because they had reasons for not, who did not know neither hunger nor war, nor even a modest revolution in the next yard. That generation can say the saddest thing: no need of God. It's a lie I know, but the definition provides an adequate picture of its unbearable languor. A generation of Spanish, and I fear that Europeans, who had many encouragements to raise the 'question of God.

If anything, Guzman, not having reached that conclusion after hours of deep reflection, but by the atmosphere in which he moved, he had become an academic scholar convinced of the existence of neuronal soul, a soul very tiny, microscopic, radiation safety in neurons.

Did not need to delve into such absurd proportions, because, like many in this generation of postwar Western bourgeois, Enrique was a faithful follower of the sect dual, non-hierarchical community who believed that there are two truths, fiercely proud of their mutual autonomy : that of faith and science. And when there are two parallel truths no worry about the veracity of either palpable or their opposition: the very scientific principle of contradiction, that the primary assumption that a doctrine can not defend a position and its opposite at the same time shall be canceled. If this does concluís the modern intellectual duality addicted to the Church, is a scam I will not be intellectual, an angel, who disagrees with a conclusion as prosaic as successful.

Guzman had no fool and knew better than anyone, because of trade, that if the matter, the chemical composition of neurons, is constantly changing, if you now live and the next moment is destroyed, if now now lives and dies, or the slowest one can believe the soul tontuna neuronal neuronal as if it is not soul. There must be something, said Harry, in the rare moments when it was alone with himself, to remain beyond the vertigo of continuous change, a change that gives no reason for existence in general and himself in particular . Why remained Enrique Guzman, professor of biochemistry, endowed with memory, if the matter composing it, had nothing to do with that of five years ago? There must be something, something intangible, beyond that, something permanent, to keep in being, beyond a set of continuous cells moved like snakes shed their skin.

But this was not within the Department of Biochemistry philosophy but of those old dinosaurs located in a building related, some tostones who, in the XXI century, nobody had the slightest attention. And the question was not so urgent.

Overcome these dangerous times of intellectual solitude, which had condemned the routine an outcast corner, Henry was satisfied with himself. It was the individual who sees further than others. Beyond his colleagues obsessed materialists, inhabitants of a small world. And beyond that Catholics, as his wife, who were concerned to demonstrate their faith, were content to display. Professor Guzman's life ranged between obsession and subsequent anger, materialistic vulgarity colleagues and practitioners pietistic, willing to believe in miracles. And he was balanced man, able to see around both groups over both. Of course, I could not understand that perseverance of his wife in the rites of the priests. After all his wife could not be silly. Poorly educated, yes, but not silly. Among other things because she had married him.

One day he surprised Gladys kneeling before a statue of the Virgin. That situation gave him an irrepressible laugh. But the woman did not answer and save the image in the closet. Well Gladys did not look like the Seven Sages of Greece. But so picturesque scene gave him pause.

It was clear that there was something far beyond the field. There was the spiritual and therefore spirits and therefore God. No other explanation was possible, or how big the universe, or how small, life. Neither of the in-between: the intelligent species called man.

Now God was necessary to explain the world but Enrique Guzman could not even conceive of a God awaiting the word of man. That was absurd, nothing so formidable could be real. The most sensible hypothesis, and Henry was prone to confuse the moderation and wisdom, was that the Creator, person or principle, had performed its task and then the man had left to their fate. For the same, he had abandoned God.

And then it happened that. Gladys was quoted in the usual place but his companion 'floor' assured him that he had moved.

He's gone, explained how the bearer of bad news. He has suffered a crisis, he said, amused I think he called crisis of conscience, although I think it was an attack of dignity. If I were you I would not go looking for it. It has become a turkey and I think for the moment, does not want to see his old friends. You know, the prostitutes will precede the kingdom of heaven, he said, bursting into a laugh as bitter that Mr. Guzmán could not bear. With the same smile of a hyena gave him a paper, which contained an address.

Henry left the apartment in the fit of anger. But paid adulterous affair that gave him some rights that he would not resign. Furthermore, it was willing to bribe to be the one who had abandoned his maintainer. In this case, should be reversed. At that time, the resentment was stronger than lust, but that is unusual.

He took a taxi and headed that direction, turned out to be a chalet in one of the suburban bourgeoisie. There he received a nun's habit to her ankles, scowling. Guzman did not like that visual analysis was referred to the religious. With scowl, the virtuous and asked him to wait, with unconcealed coarseness warned he would ask Miss "for which you ask" if he wanted to meet him, "but I advise you not to."

In his words, Guzman called Gladys realized that really was not called so, another deception continued for a couple of decades of relationship. Which he disliked. One thing is that you lie to your wife with a maintained and other maintained that fool you. With the moral is also lost respect for the customer. For a moment, by the head of Henry spent the image and the words, "good whore", but had withdrawn the dominion of their ... neurons.

Finally came the nominee Gladys, who, for more humiliation, carrying in their hands a little book, whose cover could be a cross, whose four arms, four framed prints appeared Romanesque painted by a child. Yes, his official mistress was a Gospel in their hands. As to die of laughter, disgust, or both at once.

'You could have warned me that I was leaving.

- Why? Replied the aforementioned, with insulting composure. Did I ever yours or you were mine?

Then, as if responding to a question or raised, Gladys said the visitor:

'I read you a short paragraph because I want to change your life or, better, and why not get it back ... I see you again.

Professor Guzman could barely conceal his anger. What was missing, his beloved, and not afraid to use the real-headed him professorial tone and mood of sermons. He was not violent but not for the risks, would have herded a slap.

And the worst is that Gladys did not seem very impressed by the scientist's visible anger. He opened his gospel with a rectangles that, for scorn, turned out to be the image of a sweetened sweetened Child Jesus

- What do you think? A man had two sons. Addressing the first, he ordered: "Son, go work today in the vineyard." But he replied: "I love you." However, after he repented and went. Addressing the second said the same: "I, Lord." But it was not.

The call Gladys stopped reading and asked Henry:

- Which one do you think did the will of his father?

-It depends on which one can prove in a court-mocked Henry.

The woman seemed immune to the sarcasm: "First they answered."

- And what is the academic conclusion of the story?

'Truly, I say, Gladys went to the publicans and the prostitutes will precede the kingdom of God.

Then the passage Guzman recalled, forgotten in some corner of his childhood memory:

-Exhilarating show. My lover, gospel in hand, lecturing me. You did not say that when paying your services.

- ... Because you came to John the paths of righteousness and ye believed him, whereas the publicans and the harlots believed him.

Moved the color of the face of Don Enrique Guzman

'Now I am guilty of not believing.

'At least it says here,' concluded the aforementioned closing the book.

So, your God, apparently, does not want critics to think, only disciples who obey submissive mackerel, nodding his head down. Someone said that Christianity was a religion of slaves who was charged I think rightly said without realizing that Guzman had gone to limp to hold accountable, not to start a theological discussion.

I do not know. I'm pretty good at obeying. I guess God gives us to choose and if we choose for him, well then we can only obey.

Then, looking down, said:

-I believe that freedom is like money: it is only useful when it is spent. I have been slow to understand but now understand that the whole secret of life lies in this: we are His.

Pride told Henry that he should not enter the game. He had gone there to reproach his fright, not to be lectured on the meaning of life.

However, could not react. Yes, now I remember the passage as if he had heard every day but never thought it could refer to it. And apart: all knowledge is now stood as a monument to ignorance of the wise, a set of unsolvable questions hidden in academic pomp, a desperate search for certainty.

And now that the truth was the ignorant and miserable Gladys. She did know how to live while he remained lost in confusion. Then he came to mind that other phrase, evangelical, heard a colleague: "He who has a why to live eventually find the how."

As if he could read in it, Gladys told him to say goodbye while incorporating:

-All your knowledge will not bring you happiness, Enrique, only help you to take sides. Now you must decide between you and God. I've already made my decision, so do not meet again.

And with that he left the room. And in fact, never met again.