The Finder will not open ("load") if you start up the computer in verbose or single-user mode with Mac OS X 10.2.2.
Symptom
If you start up the computer in verbose mode, or if you start up the computer in single-user mode and type "exit" at the command line, the Finder will not open. Instead, a gray screen appears after all of the "verbose" startup messages have finished scrolling.
Solution
Update the computer to Mac OS X 10.2.3.