Yesterday I discussed weakness as is reflected in one's personal history--a history uneven in character, not pristinely ideal. A moment's reflection indicates that it is liberating no longer to be cornered and intimidated by the imperfections of one's past. Last night I attended a Bible study group at Clearview United Methodist Church. At one point, a member of the group said that we are all adults here; there is a sense in which we all have a colorful past. This immediately struck me as a pointedly redemptive way to view a checkered past – it should not elicit shame and intimidation but a sense of appreciation for its involuted complexity and often inescapable realism. We must humbly and graciously conclude that all adults without exception have a colorful past.
Print Page
