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“I have a recording of the real radio broadcast when the Hindenburg blew up I think it’s worth money, but I’d never sell it”

“I hear it’s going to be a cold winter”

“My son is working for NASA now!”

It didn’t matter what they said It just mattered that they said it, and Paul was the friendly face He knew intuitively that he didn’t need to say anything clever or even to speak He just had to smile, and they would ask for him when they ca his classmates never did

Studious Paul was always near the head of his class He’d ards and accolades for his volunteer work He’d even been written up in the local newspaper several times All this supported his belief that he was destined to do soful with his life Of course, back then success was easy Up to that point he had always known the rules If you wanted to get an A in class, the teacher told you exactly what to do To win a local service award, there were straightforward guidelines Paul had no nostalgia for hoames, or school plays, but he did miss his youthful certitude As a professional ain be as clear

“Incompatible”

In 1880, Baptist e Dana Boardman wrote a treatise called Studies in the Mountain Instruction “Ask yourself whether you are fulfilling Christ’s conditio

n of entrance (to heaven) or not,” he wrote, “loving your ene those who curse you… It matters not what or how loud your profession is; how orthodox your creed; how often and devoutly you pray; how large your benevolences; how rapturous your closet experiences: all this goes for nothing unless you feel toward those who are hating and injuring you as Christ bids you feel No criterion of piety can take the place of this test of the Mountain There is no way of being a son of the Father in heaven except by doing as the Father in heaven does—even this, loving eneood, sending rain on just and on unjust”

Religion was frequently a topic of the evening phone calls Ian had a great curiosity about the Christianity that Paul loved so ion, but he had been burned The church of his youth had daion for his oell-being He never tried to push his faith on Ian, but he welcoht share one day Perhaps God had given Paul an angelic vision in order to help Ian rediscover the divine nature of his own soul

“Why are Christians so hung up about sex?” Ian asked one evening “Mary was a virgin, Jesus was a virgin Why is that so important? The world is sexual”

“Why is it iuess because it helps to promote a stable society if people aren’t so obsessed with sex If they’re not promiscuous I think that is where it comes from”

“Is that what Jesus was about? Prouy who questioned the Pharisees and turned over the ers’ tables and all that”

“He was The church is about pro a stable society It’s i community”

“If I’m invited to the party”

“You are”