The Oracle Year

by Charles Soule

He thought about good decisions, and bad decisions, and how hard it could be to tell them apart.

Will I get what I want? How can I get what I want? Why can’t I get what I want?

None of us are meant for anything, and none of us are meant for nothing. Life is chaos, but it’s also opportunity, risk, and how you manage them.

I believe in spirituality, and goodness. But the stuff in the Bible? The specifics? No. God’s not real. At least, not the version we sell to our congregation. That’s all pablum. An ad campaign.”

“Belief is a commodity. It can be packaged, bought and sold. It’s true of saint’s bones, and it’s true of my ministry.”

If those folks really believed God was up there judging them, they’d be better people. But you see how they are. They lie, they cheat. They’re brazen about it.”

Our congregation . . . our customers . . . want to feel good about themselves, and better than other people, and they’re willing to pay top dollar. “That is what our ministry is for. That’s what every ministry is for. That’s all they really want from us. Look me in the eye and deny it.”

there are things that are so improbable that they might as well be impossible.

there’s always a path to the finish line.

He thought about faith, and whether it was ever anything other than a Hollywood back lot, a beautiful façade with absolutely nothing behind it.

At that moment, for the first time in his long life as a believer, faith suddenly seemed ridiculous—a game for children and idiots. Useless, except as a tool to manipulate other people. A lie.

Fate, destiny—they’re myths. We are the sum of our choices. Choose well.