Son,

I asked my brother to comment on some faith issues because I do not feel qualified – and I feel that he would have something to offer. He sent me an email with a link to the Washington Post. I don’t think he understood that I was inviting him to comment on our blog. But then, perhaps he is smarter than us and knows not to hang his dirty laundry in public.

Learning to talk about oneself, to be honest about oneself, to share one’s beliefs, to share one’s feelings – is a phenomenon that unfortunately escapes most Americans. We are are private country. We generally do not expose ourselves in public. I happen to think this is a problem with genteel society. The whole idea of the Johari Window is that the greater the public knowledge about self – the healthier the individual. Personally – I think this blog is one of the healthiest things you and I have ever done together – except perhaps sitting by a real fire on a cool October evening at Tunk’s Mountain.

We know the truth about ourselves, and we know the image that others project. When we compare ourselves with others – who has to come up on the short end of the stick – it is like comparing raw hamburger to a prepared T-Bone with parsley. Perhaps we should not compare ourselves to others – but who can help it? We are bombarded everyday by the most sophisticated marketing blitz in the history of mankind – they constantly tell us what we should look like and what kind of fun we should be having.

I find my brother to be a very engaging person – but when I think about it – I realize that he is at his engaging best when he and I are walking along the Washington D. C. Mall, talking privately. I invite him again to take a chance and write something on this blog – to respond to your growing interest in theology. I won’t tell anyone who he is if you won’t. You and I talk a great deal about Christianity, the Bible Belt, immigration, proper money management, and some other things – he knows more about all of these things than I do.

And he is a better writer.

Dad