the letters of Paul and the letters of James, William, in the Moscow Metro

the old woman, the "babushka", who sat beside me yesterday in the Moscow metro wagon was reading her Евангелие, her gospel, her good news from 'messengers on high'. glancing at her, reading, I wondered if her well-worn Bible had the letters of Paul in it, and whether she spent much time seeking sense and guidance from them as well...

the letters of Paul... I was reading the "selected" letters of William James, who in the course of his life also came to write much about "religion", also in published letters.

two very different life journeys -- both apparently serious -- sitting for a time side by side. her life closer to its physical end than mine may be, so already "written" as it were. her surely consoling good reading was nice and quaint, even mythic, to my mind; even in good translation William James would I feel certain have been of no use to her.

the Letters of Paul, and the letters of James, William.

Apostle... Psychologist/Philosopher... how much history, time and mind is there between!/?

the woman and I sat next to each other on the same train, going different ways.