Barbara Brown TaylorAcclaimed author, Episcopal priest and Emory alumna Barbara Brown Taylor addressed an audience of 1,000 at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on Emory's campus Thursday night, delivering her McDonald Lecture, "Learning to Walk in the Dark."

After a greeting from Candler Dean Jan Love and an introduction by Emory University President James Wagner, Taylor spoke of physical, spiritual and metaphysical "darkness,' exploring the notion that the dark places we encounter are essential and formative for human existence.

"To be human is to live by sunlight and moonlight. It is to live with anxiety and delight. Admitting limits and transcending them. Falling down and rising up. To want a life with only half of those things in it is to want half a life."

Taylor's remarks were followed by a thoughtful question and answer period, where she answered queries about enduring the darkness of depression, explaining the darker stories of Scripture to children, and what it's like to experience the black of night on her farm in rural Georgia.

You can hear the full audio of Taylor's message here: bit.ly/18LPpvf

To watch a video of the lecture, click here: bit.ly/16F7Zt8