The rescue of thirty-some Chilean miners, to exclamations of “It’s a miracle!,” prompted a grumpy young agnostic of my acquaintance to say some churlish things, whereupon I replied in the same tone. We may have achieved mutual semi-comprehention, but not much more.

On even something as benign as expressions of thanks to God (to the superficial neglect of His instruments — “It’s a technology!” just doesn’t have the same ring), we seem, like those at the Tower of Babel, to lack a common imagination behind our superficially identical English. Continue reading “Signs for awakening” →