The Apostle Paul and Mozart

One of the books I've read (or re-read) this summer is the book of Acts. It introduces the Apostle Paul. He's all over the New Testament. He was quite a powerful and colorful guy. He and I have had our ups and downs but, basically, he has my respect. He got the job done.

He mentioned several times in his letters that he had an affliction of some sort. He called it a "thorn in his side." Over the years theologians and scholars of all kinds have tried to come up with what it was.

Several years ago I was (inappropriately) laughing out loud when I listened to a lady minister explain that she knew what it was because she had the same affliction.

Allergies.

Then she listed all of her "proofs."

Now we have the latest theory on what killed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 35. Over the years we've heard that he was poisoned, that he ate bad food, that he was killed by a jealous rival and so on.

A report from the Annals of Internal Medicine now suggests us that he died from strep throat. They think this, basically, because it was going around at the time.

As a person who suffered mightily from strep as a child, as did my siblings, I tend to think they finally got it right.

But my guess is that I'm projecting. Just like the lady minister with the allergies.


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