Correction: Chip IS TEACHING us about faith. I forwarded this to my Devotion email list. It's a wonderful testimony about the power of one man and his ability to show Christ to the world around him.
In addition to the devotional instruction we can gain from this moving account, we also gain a view into the nature and potential of this site in general. I have long held that the fellowship of participants, across all spectrum of belief and views, is the most powerful thing here.
In part, the strength, as shown here, also can explain, and perhaps mitigate the reaction to, the often troubling depth of feeling on disputes as well.