Religion & Law

I might be alone on this, but I think it's wonderful that the oath of office was flubbed in today's otherwise sparkling inauguration ceremony.  I would go so far as to call it a moment of God's grace -- an opportunity for two of our best and brightest to realize, and forever remember, that even they can get mixed up in the simple task of reciting a 37-word oath.  The grace of such moments is especially noticeable when there is no discernible harm other than our own embarrassment. 

My own bar of self-sufficiency and competence is much lower, obviously, than it is for President Obama and Chief Justice Roberts.  But no matter what I may achieve personally or professionally, lurking in my memory (thanks in part to my friends, who regularly remind me) is the day during freshman year of high school when my knee went out while I demonstrated the sashay during a square dancing unit in gym class.  It's hard to get too full of myself knowing my own capacity for sheer idiocy.  I hope that the memory of the flubbed oath stays with our supremely gifted leaders for a long time.