Human beings are not amused by the irrelevant, but by what matters. Through laughter, we diminish the burden of fear, make light of forces we cannot control, and defuse the anguish of despair. Sara is at her most believable when she bursts into laughter at the sound of angel voices. What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Lord to supply by the help of his grace. The difference between Western culture and other cultures is that in the West human beings exploit other humans beings, whereas elsewhere in the world, it is the other way around.
Hospitality takes time.
Thank god religion to me has always been the wound, not the bandage. Playwright Dennis Potter, on the BBC, before he died of cancer. May the lord grant us a peaceful night and a perfect death. Reflections from 1996 through 1998 are available here .