No matter how hard I wish for plain simplicity, the world I live in will remain irreducibly complex. In spite of the apparent effectiveness of my favourite reductionisms, the universe refuses to become simple for me. I will, however, become “simple” (for it?) when in due time I return to the (star)dust from whence I came. Incidentally, on the way to becoming thus “simple”, questions arise about the “plain sense of scripture”. And to my knowledge, these questions are not exempt from the severity of reality. I will do my utmost to hold them to the light of the brightest candles I know of. Are you with me?