Camus and Questions That Matter

Last updated on: July 18, 2014 at 6:14 am by Dr. Steven Garber

Camus and Questions That Matter 2014-07-18T06:14:44-04:00 Dr. Steven Garber

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Looking for Hints of Hope.

The left bank of the Seine is known for its cafés, and conversations, cigarettes and coffee too. But a church? And Albert Camus sitting in a pew, listening with the ears of his heart?

For most my life I have been in conversation with Camus, the celebrated French novelist who was also one of the primary voices in 20th-century philosophy. As a 20 year-old college dropout on a pilgrimage through Europe with questions about human existence running through my heart, I spent a day with other students seeing his novel-made-film, The Stranger, in a London cinema and talking for seeming hours afterwards in a Greek cafe.

camus When I returned to college, I was enamored with the seriousness of Camus’ questions about all things that mattered most for life in the world. Meaning in the universe, and in the human heart. Justice and injustice. Suffering and sorrow. He was known for his unflinching look at the human condition, and refusing to blink.

My academic interests were awakened when I began to see that it was possible to learn about things that had consequence for who we are and how we live. Over the years I have returned to Camus again and again, sure that his honesty was worthy of of my heart. Several theses along the way kept me in conversation with his questions, and I have only gone further up and further into them.

When I began to apprentice myself to Walker Percy I was fascinated to see that he too had been unflinchingly honest, but had come to a different place than Camus. Compared by the New York reviewers– “We now have an American Camus!” –he responded, “You’ve missed me. I am honest about the fragility of human existence, but there will always be a hint of hope in what I write.” Good for him and for all of us.

I have taken that image, a hint of hope, and written about it in the book, Visions of Vocation, arguing that being “hints of hope” can make sense of our best efforts in and through our callings and careers. Nothing triumphalistic, nothing astounding, just ordinary life by ordinary people. Hints of hope– I can live with that, and live into that.

This past Easter Sunday, we worshiped at the American Church of Paris, a remarkably and wonderfully international congregation with every tone and tongue of European, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Latin peoples gathered to remember the resurrection. It was a taste of what worship will someday be. I was specially drawn to this place and people because Camus had worshiped here in the last years of his life. Sitting quietly in the rear, he eventually stayed for conversation with the pastor, and over time they became friends, sitting at cafés along the Seine to talk about things that matter most.

It is a longer story, and part of it is born of Camus’ experience in the French village of Le Chambon, watching the Huguenots, with an unusual courage and compassion, open their barns and basements to thousands of Jews during the Holocaust– while he was writing The Plague, his novel about our complex response to evil in the world. Eventually he found his way to a church, with questions he wanted answered, and hope in his heart.

I wanted to sit in the same pews that he did, hearing a word from God about human existence on the day we call Easter. Yes, I suppose I wanted to hear about hope– even a hint of hope.

Featured Photograph by Steven Garber: The Eiffel Tower, the American Church of Paris, spire, and the Seine River.

Previous Post

July 17, 2014

"Daddy, Stay Home and Play!"

Next Post

July 22, 2014 Wisdom for Graduates: There Is Life After College

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category arts and entertainment audio/video bible / theology business church college community culture education faith family government/politics leadership media medicine podcast science & tech social sector tech Uncategorized work and calling

Select a Month November 2025 May 2025 October 2024 September 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 July 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 July 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 July 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 November 2016 September 2016 August 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who boldly risked her life to save her people with the phrase, "If I perish, I perish"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ruth Esther Hannah Deborah