Rebuilding quickly is part of our self-identity, but we're getting more cynical about what we're capable of.

By the close of the third grade, I found I'd not yet converted a single living soul, and this started me wondering whether, in fact, I did have the best story to tell about salvation.

Moses seemed real and approachable because much of what he encountered was familiar to me. He was responsible for leading the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, thanks in large part to a convincing series of plagues, many of which prompted shudders of recognition from a Florida native.