Herman Melville

"And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it is in this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists."

I get the distinct impression from this quote and Melville's entire book, Moby Dick, that he understood how hard it was to walk through life living for Christ. I love the book as it begins in my native Massachusetts. New Bedford and Nantucket, two of my favorite places are prominent early in the book. But, even more powerful, is the book's Christian undertones. Ishmael, Ahab, Queequeg and the whale are all references, to me, of aspects of the Christian life. The Pequod is a whaling ship, but one not like any other.

The all male crew has gender as its only commonality, as each crew member is distinctly different from all others. It is interesting to note that as soon as the ship hits warm water Melville reveals the true battle that will take place in the context of this ship - the battle between Ahab and the whale. I will leave you to figure out the symbolism as it is different for everyone who reads the book. Melville's masterpiece is worth reading as it is both enjoyable and life-changing. To think that one little quote produced these memories; that is the way my mind works. Happy Reading!