{"id":220,"date":"2015-02-24T00:01:52","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T08:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/wrestlingwithgod\/?p=220"},"modified":"2015-02-23T13:50:10","modified_gmt":"2015-02-23T21:50:10","slug":"catholic-memoirist-richard-rodriguez-on-god-islam-and-finding-faith-in-the-midst-of-darkness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wrestlingwithgod\/2015\/02\/catholic-memoirist-richard-rodriguez-on-god-islam-and-finding-faith-in-the-midst-of-darkness\/","title":{"rendered":"Catholic Memoirist Richard Rodriguez on God, Islam, and Finding Faith in the Midst of Darkness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Catholic<\/a>
Richard Rodriguez signs copies of Darling<\/em> at the Sagrada bookstore in Oakland, Calif. Photo by Barbara Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

By Barbara Falconer Newhall<\/em><\/p>\n

The occasion was a two-fer book talk by two Catholics. Kaya Oakes would be talking about her Catholicism-to-atheism-and-back-to-Catholicism memoir, Radical Reinvention: An Unlikely Return to the Catholic Church<\/em>. And Catholic memoirist Richard Rodriguez would be talking about his essay collection, Darling: A Spiritual Autobiography<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Catholic<\/a>
Kaya Oakes<\/a> at the Sagrada bookstore. Photo by Barbara Newhall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Oakes started the conversation with a blunt question to her fellow memoirist: \u201cWhy do you believe in God?\u201d she wanted to know.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo I believe in God<\/a>?\u201d Rodriguez paused and thought about it. He didn\u2019t seem to want to answer the question on its own terms. Instead he said, \u201cI feel a commitment to Jesus and the life of Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then proceeded to tell a story about Mother Teresa. During Mother Teresa\u2019s 1987 visit to San Quentin State Prison just north of San Francisco, Rodriguez reported, the diminutive sister addressed a group of painfully respectful death row inmates. \u201cIf you want to see the face of God,\u201d she told the men, \u201clook at the prisoner standing next to you.\u201d Then she added, \u201cI see the face of God when I look at you.\u201d<\/p>\n

After their talk,\u00a0Rodriguez, Oakes and their audience strolled the few blocks from Faith Presbyterian Church, where the conversation took place, to the Sagrada Sacred Arts<\/a> store on Telegraph Avenue for a book signing. There, surrounded by candles, crystals, meditation bells, icons, and, of course, books, Rodriguez signed copies of Darling<\/em>.<\/p>\n

When my turn came to get my book signed and chat with the author, the conversation turned philosophical. Rodriguez looked at me and repeated Mother Teresa\u2019s words, \u201cI see the face of God when I look at you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was touched. I studied Rodriguez\u2019 lovely Mexican American face for a moment and thought to myself, \u201cYeah. If God had a face, it would look pretty much like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

More Pithy Thoughts From Richard Rodriguez<\/strong><\/p>\n