Hope: A Tragedy

The most touching aspect of this was probably his personal attitude towards death: separated from the Christian faith by his gruesomely materialistic medical studies, confronted all through his life with cruel and repeated loss – including the loss of his own sons, who were sacrificed to England’s warlike plans – his last resort was to turn towards

But I was also startled by the profound discomfort I felt, especially in hospitals. Doctors at times seemed brusque and even hostile toward us. The lighting was harsh, the food terrible, the rooms loud and devoid of comfort. Weren’t people there to heal? This did not appear to matter. What mattered was the whole bureaucratic apparatus of “care”: th

If I am Abraham and maintain my secular faith, I believe that Isaac’s life is priceless—I am devoted to his well-being as an end in itself—but I also believe that his life can be lost. Indeed, it is only by acknowledging and being responsive to Isaac’s finitude that I can care for him.