Words of the Champions, 1981 edition

I learned to read at age 3, and I’ve been a word geek ever since. I remember my excitement in elementary school when the teacher would hand out “Words of the Champions,” the official booklet for the Scripps Howard Spelling Bee. Yep, I was that kid. Probably no surprise to my parents or anyone else that I became a writer.

But why write about religion? Faith is a powerful thing. It can inspire people to great acts of compassion. On the other hand, it can fuel misguided imaginations and lead to violence and destruction. In short, it’s a force with which we must reckon and understand, whether we consider ourselves believers or not.

Since I began freelancing in 2001, I have written several hundred articles about faith, spirituality, religion, and church. Some of these articles are about matters most people would consider mundane. Others tackle the big questions that religious institutions and communities of faith struggle with today. Most were fun to write; a few were life-changing. My favorite articles are those in which people shared a bit of their own faith journey, with its triumphs and struggles.

My latest project is Banned Questions About the Bible (Chalice Press, April 2011). When Christian Piatt invited me to be a contributing editor, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. I didn’t have a book thrown at my head by a Sunday School teacher (like Christian did) for asking impertinent questions, because I was a good Presbyterian girl and kept my questions to myself. As a teen, I lost my ability to take the Bible literally and because I knew no other way to approach it, I lost my faith. It took me years to return and wrestle with the Bible’s difficult stories and apparent contradictions; to hang in there long enough to receive a blessing. I know there are others who have left behind childhood faith but haven’t given up on the Bible. I hope Banned Questions About the Bible will convince them to fully re-engage it with heart and mind.