Boy, I wish I could talk directly to Milosz or a prophet of old. As a Christian, I believe that we can pray directly to the One In Charge, the Lord God Almighty. Alas, that isn't enough for me. I want to consult unearthly wise people who had walked before me on this planet, who struggled with pain, doubt, temptation, and defeat. I believe that Jesus did all those things, and hence, God can sympathize with our plight as humans. Yet Jesus did not sin. I want to commune with great but frail people who sinned as I have. I want to ask how they kept going even while they bumbled and messed things up. To his credit, Jesus never screwed up -- he was perfect.
Let there be no mistaking me: it's the greatest news that Jesus was both like us and not like us. He showed us that there is a way beyond our own individual and collective quagmires. I don't need a besmirched Jesus. Yet, even as a card-carrying Protestant, I confess to the appeal of holding up a pantheon of capital-S Saints, those who fall between us and perfection.
Posted by rdhyee at January 13, 2006 08:52 AM