No Excuses

Well, it has been a while. No excuses. Just read an interesting note on Brett Favre, now retired (?) quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. The writer, a prof from GW, compares the more somber elements of Catholicism and the more exuberant elements of Evangelicalism. I have found both present in each. It does remind me of an Op-Ed piece in the NYT several years back outlining how it is that Catholicism focuses more on the death of Christ and Evangelicalism focuses more on the Resurrection.

The biblical record, if stock was taken of it, demonstrates much more a delving into the darkness of our world and less on the light. Yes, the light is strong and present but perhaps its presence is even more noticed because of the pervasiveness of the darkness. Scripture doesn't cut corners when it presents the darkness as part of our world. It doesn't leave us in darkness, either. Such a profound inclusion!

I say this because my observation is that Evangelicalism doesn't seem as comfortable in talking about darkness. Fundamentalism (yes, i make a distinction) seems preoccupied not only with darkness, but in naming the darkness. We move quickly to resurrection and rarely discuss the presence of darkness. Thus, when someone like Mother Theresa writes about the darkness of her soul, we all may seem surprised. Can we hold the pain of darkness long enough to experience the incredible power of light?

One last thing, I know, it may sound like we do, but I end with a question: Do we need hell in order to know heaven?

Skiing today--yeah!