odds + ends

"God is inscrutable, mysterious and unknowable. We do not understand what life is about, what it means, why were are here and what will happen to us after our brief sojourn on the planet ends. We are saved, in the end, by faith – faith that life is not meaningless and random. … Small acts of compassion … have a power that lives after us." -Chris Hedges, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America

This is a great article on the state of our country and culture by Peggy Noonan. Although I personally disagree with her point about Barack Obama needing to prove his love for America, I can see how people of older generations might need to see more proof of his patriotism.