Glenn – No Beauty In The Beast – Israel Without Her Mascara

6NO BEAUTY IN THE BEASTLost in TranslationIn addition to having taught several foreign languages over the course of many years, as well I haveserved as an interpreter on a few occasions when someone found him or herself in a pinch. Translatingwas something from which I derived a certain amount of satisfaction, not only because of what was mylove for these various languages, but as well due to the fact that I was able to provide a service to otherswho found themselves disadvantaged by virtue of the obvious communication barrier.Likewise, I found it to be a very fulfilling thing as well when I began this business of “translating” muchof what I saw taking place in the world around me into the written word. Having individuals come to meand express their gratitude at things I have said has been a source of great reward for me, and somethingthat hopefully I will be able to continue doing in the future.However, despite the fact that I managed to hit a few small home runs in the course of my very modestwriting career, it hasn’t always been a complete success. Besides the fact that there are those who aredecidedly against the position I have taken, there are those as well who simply have a hard timeunderstanding what it is that I am trying to say. This is a situation that has become exponentially morepronounced the more that I have become acquainted with the mechanics of this situation in the MiddleEast, since, obviously, the more I understand it, the more there is to analyze and more to discuss.In fairness to the rest of humanity who make an attempt at considering what it is that I have to say, thereis good reason for them to walk away from these encounters scratching their heads in a bewilderedmanner. It certainly would not be the first time that I have heard it come from the mouths of othersaround me that I am oftentimes somewhat cryptic and possibly a little bit too allegorical in the pictures Iattempt to paint. Perhaps it is that ‘left-brained, right-brained’ issue that many are always discussing, thebattle between the practical and abstract aspects of the human mind. In any case, I cannot blame suchindividuals for not ‘getting it,’...that is, understanding the point I am trying to make. Sometimes I leavemyself confused.Having said this then, the reader of this work will find a plethora of allegories, similes, comparisons, andwhat nots. I am of the opinion that they are not too vague or abstract, but then again, this is coming fromthe mouth of the one who is painting the picture and knows what it is that he has in mind. Still, theservant of humanity that I wish to be requires that I not construct an intellectual obstacle course toodifficult to master, and therefore I owe it to the others who are affording me a few hours of their time allthe assistance that I can without cheating them out of what I hope will be a profitable mental workout.Therefore, for the benefit of the reader, I have decided to start things off on the right foot by giving a briefrun-down of the argument that I am trying to make within the pages of this book so that he or she will bein possession of a road map of sorts in guiding them through what is a somewhat lengthy and complicatedjourney.The title of the work itself, No Beauty in the Beast, should, given the times within which we find ourselves,cause several parts of the mind to fire-off recollections and recognitions. In this age of the apocalypticparadigm that is daily fare on the various outlets of Western media and wherein the ‘end times’ and allthat they portend are regularly discussed, then certainly this topic of the Beast has an undeniable relevance.One could make the argument (and especially given the amount of discussion already taking place by