of those inane sermons that say, "Love God and be happy." "The Ancient Mariner" is for one thing about the fact that if one loves God one most likely will be miserable. Because God does not make explanations usually for what he does, at least not in the terms that humans would consider intelligent, one may find himself living in a world where his best efforts at rationality are foolish, considering the terms in which the God Who Acts is acting. There is through all of the Bible the theme of God's wisdom making man's wisdom foolish. And in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Coleridge is apparently haunted by this fact....
