There is a place, of course, for doctrine, for thinking seriously about God and life, for theological categories, but only when tempered by humility, by the realization that all of our thoughts about God are halting attempts to come in wonder and worship in the blazing light of God. We see him again, of course, this time not at the beginning of John's Gospel but at the end of it. Jesus is dead, crucified, and there is Nicodemus. This time, however, he comes not as an interrogator but as a disciple, not as an apostle of the night but a follower of the light. In a cynical world of unbelief, ordinary people willing to live out stories of faith will find themselves in extraordinary settings.
Extraordinary settings can make great people.
In a day of moral indifference and spiritual hostility, even modest risks catapult us into adventure. Against the backdrop of despair, the barest shreds of courage stand out, making even plain people look heroic. We need only speak humble truths when everyone else is feeding off convenient, self-protective lies. We need only confront gently where everyone is worried about not making waves. We need only a few sparks of passion where apathy reigns supreme.