Where the Light Fell

by Philip Yancey

There is a terrible kind of cruelty, no matter how well intended, in demanding the denial of self when there is no selfhood to deny. —James Fowler, Stages of Faith

Classes at the school focus so intently on the invisible world—on concepts such as omniscience, omnipotence, and sovereignty—but here in the visible world, at the margins of belief, I feel the first uninvited stirrings of desire to know the source of such beauty.

What is happening to me? The simple act of a desirable woman extending her hand has changed everything. Goodness has become believable. I feel inspired to dismantle the shell, rejoin the human race, and stop being a jerk.