In a spirit of Christian forgiveness very becoming to men of the cloth, and to father and son, they had buried their differences. It must be said, however, that they buried them not very deeply, and perhaps more as one would bank a fire than smother it. They had a particular way of addressing each other when the old bitterness was about to flare up. 'Have I offended you in some way, Reverend?' my father would ask. And his father would say, 'No, Reverend, you have not offended me in any way at all. Not at all.' And my mother would say, 'Now, don't you two get started.'

— Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Gilead Quartet, #1) (Page 39)