This I Believe

There's a series on NPR from time to time called "This I believe." It's very interesting to hear these passionate people proclaim their beliefs - I highly recommend it.

The following is NOT an entry from that program, but perhaps it should be. It is a prepared message by Dr. Lee Camp (yes, again) which was delivered this past Wednesday at a worship service at Otter Creek.

I've transcribed the whole thing (300-ish words), but here's a link to the audio. Again, I claim all typos and bad punctuation as my own.

"I believe in God the Father and Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit and the holy catholic church. Which is all to say, I believe in the Creed. I believe God is love - a love greater than my self-condemnation, greater than my lusts and greed and ambition, greater than armies and terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. I believe God is nearer than my very breath, knows me better than I know myself and desires good for me beyond anything pride or ambition could ever devise.
"I believe there are no tears more bitter than those that precede repentance, grieving the loss of our old ways. I believe that detoxing from the old man is a hard and narrow road, like grieving the death of an old friend who has kept us company for many lonely days.
"I believe there are no tears sweeter than those that come spontaneously while sitting on the porch alone early in the morning years later when one realizes how good God has been, and kind and merciful, keeping me from pits of death which would swallow me whole.
"Which is to say that the day comes when in grieving the loss of the old, we learn that we have been grieving the loss of but an illusion, a lie. And that what we thought was our friend was in fact our mortal enemy. And then, deep laughter swallows up the tears. And then one is free to live.
"I believe that I am like the demon-possessed man, set free from his bondage and sent home to tell how wonderful are the works of God.
"I believe the fact of my freedom does not mean the old man has left me. He is always there, looking over my shoulder, seeking always to engage me in pleasant conversation, offering me poisons which taste and smell, at least at first, like good wine.
"I believe the world desperately needs people set free from fear - fear of shame and isolation, free from the fear of prison and the fear of social stigma, free to love, to speak the truth, to share all things needful, free to sing and laugh and to tell good stories.
"And I believe that God is good. I have tasted and I have seen. And I love this Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Though so poorly do I love. But I do.
"Amen."