Damascene Moment


I was walking along the sea front in a Malta village this morning, when I had a Damascene moment. Well, almost. My thoughts coalesced as I looked at the turquoise sea surging gently over some sand and weed-encrusted rock, on an absolutely breathtaking morning. It’s the 5th December, and like one of the best of English summer days.

The words came together in my head. Some might say they are depressive – and I do get such moments, and in this very religious island the words were irreligious. I refined and shaped them, re-ordered them, and the conclusion was:

‘A man with any understanding of the cosmos cannot fail to be impressed by the futility of human endeavour’.

I claim that quote for my own. Here’s a picture of the bay on the day: