Sophistication

I’ve mentioned Rev. Todd Peperkorn’s book, I Trust When Dark My Road in an earlier post. It was a fascinating read for me. I was intrigued that the book really seems to be intended for pastors who are going through depression. I would not have imagined there was such a large population of clergy in this situation.

A July issue of New York Times Magazine included an essay called “The Other 0.1%: Parents’ worst fears almost never materialize” by Matt Bai. He described a freak accident that involved his three-year-old being nearly strangled by a seatbelt. Bai’s point was that crazy, dangerous things happen, but it does not help to live in fear or try to anticipate all of them.

For a while I coped with this horrid situation by assuming it is part of the 0.1%; that this does not happen to many people and would not possibly happen to us again. It seems I assumed incorrectly. Many of the people who read this blog have similar stories of church-induced (or at least church-related) misery.

I suppose I have been naïve. There’s nothing to be gained by fearing future episodes of debilitating illness or cannibalistic church situations. I like to think that my optimism will eventually return, but it will be of a more sophisticated, vigilant variety.