On the whole, I try to offer a cool, reasonable view of religion on these pages. But every now and again, I feel the need to do something that comes more from the gut than the head. The Franciscan tradition that has formed me has shown me that a faith that is merely cool is a faith that needs waking up. Francis was literally marked with suffering and could not fail to respond to the passionate love he saw in the Crucified One. Christian faith is not just cool and reasonable but also hot, passionate, urgent and involved.
It is a cry of anger against any 'reasonable' justification for the massacre of innocents.
It is a cry of love when faced with desperate need.
It is a cry of hope in the face of cynicism.
It is a cry of joy in the sheer giftedness of life.
It is a cry of lament when we fail again and of humility when we are given another chance.
It is a cry of utter frustration when we turn to arms every time we face a deep-seated problem.
It is a cry of bliss when we discover our unity with all things.
It is a cry of the most profound silence when we encounter things we cannot name.
It is a cry of relief when we find that our limitations need not reduce us to inaction.
It is a cry of gratitude when we receive more than we ask or deserve.
Yes, I will go on trying to give a cool, reasonable account of my religion. But you need to understand that it is not, for me, a matter of reason but of desire, not of rectitude but of love.
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