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On the Precipice of a Political Reckoning: Biden as Sisyphus
After the death of his son Beau in 2015, then Vice-President Biden was asked about his faith as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Tragic accidents impacted the lives of both men — Colbert as a child, Biden as a newly-elected Congressmen, husband and father. Biden explained his faith evocatively.
“My wife — she’s a professor — when she wants to leave me messages — she literally tapes them on my mirror — when I’m shaving. She put up a quote from Kierkegaard — and Kierkegaard said,
‘Faith sees best in the dark.’
For me, my religion is an enormous sense of solace. Some of it is ritual, some of it is comfort with what you’ve done…what my faith has done…it’s a place you can go…but sometimes it leaves you.”
Colbert, “What inspires me, sir, about your life, your response, and your service to the country, and what you’ve instilled in your children, is that you have suffered, and that through your suffering, you have dedicated yourself to other people and helping them.”
Biden, “I marvel at the ability of people to absorb hurt and just get back up…and most of them do it with an incredible sense of empathy to other people.
Biden goes on to describe that he doesn’t want to embarrass Colbert by throwing the light…
