power

Madeleine L’Engle continues the story of her childhood in the second chapter of Bright Evening Star, writing about the differences between punishment and abuse and about painful experiences in “Beyond the Silver Hairbrush.” Born during WWI, in which her father had been injured in a gas attack, war was a constant presence in her growing up. One of the things I love about her upbringing is that she was free to ask questions, both of her parents and of God. Her parents were wise enough to know that children deserve real answers to difficult questions. When she asked why Jesus, whom she knew as loving and kind, didn’t stop war, her parents told her, “‘We are creatures with free will; God refuses to interfere with our misuse of it.’” She continues,…