A friend was watching the live stream of the Restoring Honor rally, and snapped a pic of me with the "black-robe brigade" of mostly pastors.

I have to tell you, I don't usually anticipate enjoying events like this.  I come alive at the thought of 10 profs around a table discussing the latest social science data not mass rallies on the Mall.  But I found the event profoundly moving.  Beck says that he expected to do a political rally but instead, on his knees, he got a different answer than he was expecting: "faith, hope, charity."  He told his staff this was the new direction and they said "what does that mean?"  He told them "I don't know," and went back to prayer.  "Lord!" he says he said, "I must be one of your dumber children, please speak slowly."   The answer he got was "You have the pieces, put them together."

The three great theological virtues: faith, hope and charity.  And of these the greatest is Love.

A purely reactionary movement, based on fear alone, rises and withers and dies.  A cultural movement that lasts has to be based on a vision of the good, of the things we are for, not the things we are against.  "From fear to love," was the message.  And he's right.

Incidentally kudos to the NYT for this story. They got it right: "At Lincoln Memorial, a Call to Religious Rebirth”

More blogging later today, but here's the photo: