The Blackened State When I read a book, I often wonder what first sparked the author’s imagination to begin reading that book. Often it is to illustrate a moral dilemma, as you see in the writings of Jodi Picault. Others write books about their own lives; sometimes, I...
The Splintered Tree Years ago, after a storm in the mountains, I walked through the damp, needle-strewn soil and saw the damage that had been exacted by the lightning the night before. I saw a tree blasted apart and immediately thought of an aspect of my life. ...
The Raw Beginnings in the Gospel of Mark Though I’ve read through the Gospel of Mark at least 40 times (and in three languages), this time reading the first two chapters struck me in a new way, with its rawness, its almost-violent use of language. There...
After I saw all those pink hats, and found out what they meant, I did what I never thought I'd do. I decided– and announced publicly– that I was going to start wearing a head covering while praying or speaking publicly at church. From most ancient of...
I have a friend who is suffering. Here is the prayer I wrote and prayed for her today: I pray she will awaken and say today, “This sorrow is a little less acute, the spiny edges of it have worn down a bit, and I know a new thing. I can feel something as I...
