Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

Being raised Pentacostal I have to chime in because we are often said to have this kind of theology. All things working together for the good. Isn't anywhere near the same as all things are hugs and puppies. It's not a guarantee of immunity IMHO it's a receipt for lemonade. A joy independant of circumstance that's incredibly hard sometimes.

If I take the liberty of using the fight against demons as a metaphor for a life of faith. Early Buffy had this, her life didn't just suck because life was that way. It sucked *extra* because of her calling but she made the choice to live joyfully anyway even when she wasn't happy.

I'm not sure Riley had this skill because he seemed to be so sheltered. His happiness and his strength depended more on the outside world. What people thought of him and where he fit in world. It might not be a fair assessment as we saw Buffy tested again and again but Riley only once.

By the time season six came around Buffy was making lemonade the way she made it parent teacher night, without sweetener but that's another post.