Doctrinal Essays

A few years ago I was on a business trip in San Diego. One evening I enjoyed sightseeing with some colleagues which required a bus to get to our next destination. The bus made a stop after a few minutes and a new round of people came on and went off the bus. One of the new passengers was a man in his forties who sat just across the aisle one or two rows in front of me. I couldn't help but notice his heavily lined face and uncontrolled smile, but it wasn't the kind of smile that brought warm fuzzies and cheer. It was a smile he was seemingly not aware of and intensified as woman walked past him, on or off the bus. I could tell whatever was going on in his mind had gained control over his external body in the form of a perverse smile. He also seemed to be jabbering undiscernibly under his breath. It didn't take long to realize this man was likely a lunatic by worldly standards. His lack of control gained my pity. Experiences like that are probably daily occurrences for most p...