My critics were the best thing that ever happened to me as a theologian, even though I didn't think so at the time. Accepting criticism is a hard but necessary lesson to learn. Critics made me think deeper and clearer, never letting me take myself for granted. They kept me on my toes, kept the fire burning over nearly fifty years. Thank God for critics! The worst thing is to be ignored or to have said nothing worth responding to. Silence kills thought and imagination. I received all kinds of criticism, some worthless and others a blessing. I had to decide what was important and what wasn't.
