Dean Nelson directs the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and the annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea. His most recent book is Quantum Leap: How John Polkinghorne Found God in Science and Religion.
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The Paradoxes of Mother Teresa
Photo by John Downing/Getty Images
THE BANNER HANGING from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome showed Mother Teresa, hands clasped, looking out over the 100,000 faithful who had come to celebrate her sainthood. I was part of that crowd last September, and as I looked at that banner I couldn’t tell if her facial expression was a smile or a grimace.
In a museum a few blocks away were glass cases that displayed her sandals, her walking stick, and her blue and white sari, as well as letters, photos, and a timeline charting every major event in her life. In a different cathedral the night before, an orchestra and choir performed a magnificent original oratorio written in her honor.
Under the banner’s gaze at St. Peter’s, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church was seated, along with dignitaries from dozens of countries. I wondered what thought bubble would be most appropriate if one suddenly appeared above Mother Teresa’s depiction on the tapestry. I decided it would be this: “If you only knew.”
A Cup Of Life
Healing Waters quenches thirst and builds bridges in the Dominican Republic.
Singing for Clean Water
He seems relatively amused when people quote lines from the most famous song he’s ever recorded, but this day he was pretty serious.