Emphasis Preaching Journal

In The Beauty Of The Lilies John Updike tells the story of four generations of the Wilmot family beginning with the Reverend Clarence Wilmot's loss of faith in 1910. The fall from being a respected Presbyterian pastor to an unsuccessful encyclopedia salesperson becomes the principal event in this family's history that influences much of what is to follow. Years later Clarence's son Teddy is talking with his grandson Clark about issues of faith. Clark asks about church, "How come you never went?" Teddy responds, "Never seemed to need it. Stopped dead after Dad died ... I must have had a grudge." Clark asks, "Grudge?" Teddy responds: "[I]t seemed to me God could have given Dad a sign. To help him out. Just a little sign would have done it, and cost God nothing much." A little sign -- it doesn't seem like much, does it? One little thing to prove Jesus' authority as one sent by God, just a spoonful of proof to help open eyes and support faith. The tragedy is that when one has lost faith, one cannot see the signs. When one is strong in faith, there are signs everywhere.
-- Olson