St. Anthony and Charlie Peacock

One of my favorite artists is Salvador Dali. Of course being a surrealist his images are amazing and even grotesque at times, but they ring true in my experience and I identify with them on so many different levels. One of the more fantastic paintings from him is the Temptation of St. Anthony where Anthony is presented with numerous temptations that he must confront and overcome through the power of God Himself.

There is a song by Charlie Peacock that conjures up this image in my mind called Insult Like the Truth:

I've run my ship aground
on the rocks of the soul
There's no lie like independence
there's no demon like control
I've fanned the burning embers
til my house was on fire
There's no parody like power
There's no fever like desire
I've drained the wine of darkness
to the dregs of deceit
There's no drug as strong as pride
There's no blindness like conceit
I've railed against the mountain
With a pick axe and a file
There's no minefield like presumption
There's no death wish like denial

There's no gunshot like conviction
There's no conscience bulletproof
There's no strength like utter weakness
There's no insult like the truth

I've adjusted my prescription
til I couldn't trust my vision
there's no killer like convenience
there's no sickness like omission
I've amended resolutions and resisted explanation
There's no trap door like emotion
There's no pit like reputation

There's no cancer like ambition
There's no cure like crucifixion

Truly there is no cure like crucifixion. Truly I have been crucified to the world and the world has been crucified to me and through his crucifixion the doors of heaven were opened wide even to me. Death - where is your sting? I hold you in derision now through the blood of the Lamb.