Behold the Man

 

"If the decline of political authority is related to the state of political imagination, it seems clear that the decline of spiritual authority is related to an associated cause (...): the feebleness and uncertainty of spiritual insight.

There prevails a kind of ontological bewilderment—an inability to discern meaning and reality. This bewilderment nullifies the will and capacity to assume spiritual authority. There is of course much ostensibly spiritual insight and advice offered. It is noteworthy, however, that it is generally offered with some fairly obvious commercial motivation in back of it; and often it is not so much instruction as it is merely comfort.

If we are witnessing today a partial collapse of true communication, this is due above all to the fact that just as in the political realm few know what should be done, so in the spiritual realm few know what should be spoken."

― Glenn Tinder, "The Crisis of Political Imagination" (1964)

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Dear Kate,

I love myself a running man, preferably on fire.

Pastor Sam, here above, I've heard him preach once, and it--he, was a sight to behold.  He spoke as if the very balance of the cosmos hanged and continued to on the very next word about to come out of him, and chased after it with an authority from above and, by the end, left him exhausted...and exposed.  I heard people around me feeling sorry for how serious he was, and I must agree it was good cardio for me just sitting there, gasping for air, mentally preparing to bring in a stretcher.  Behold the man, chasing after God.

I've written enough in the last few days, so I am going to stop here.  I'd rather you spend time to listen to Sam.  Words with power you will hear, breathing life into a dead situation.  "Impossible," we say, "tunnel too long, darkness too deep, and vaccine please!"  "Very possible," the visionary replies, "vessel we are, light He is, and send me!"

I am feeling like an Energizer Bunny.

Yours, Alex