Jesus and Lincoln, Moses and Jefferson can seem so long gone, so unbelievable, so dead.

Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, Robert Lincoln bought a nice ski lodge.

Like Lincoln, I would like to believe the ballot is stronger than the bullet. Then again, he said that before he got shot.

While I gave up God a long time ago, I never shook the habit of wanting to believe in something. So I replaced my creed of everlasting life with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I discovered that Robert Todd Lincoln was there for each of the first three assassinations. I wanted to write about the Lincoln Memorial, so when I found out he had attended its dedication, that helped focus it further.

Moses freed the Jews. Lincoln freed the slaves. I freed the neurotics.