Gilead

In recent weeks, I have been reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Because of failing health, the voice of this novel, John Ames, authors a journal for his young son. This seventy-six year old minister of Gilead, Iowa, offers family history, insight into his ministry, thoughts about his relationship with family and friends, and his understanding of love. In many ways, it is a meditation on faith and life. The real joy of this slow and thought-provoking novel is the the use of language. Through well-crafted prose, Ms. Robinson creates a sacred moment for the reader.

"A good sermon is one side of a passionate conversation. It has to be heard in that way. There are three parties to it, of course, but so are there even to the most private thought- the self that yields the thought, the self that acknowledges and in some way responds to the thought, and the Lord." (p.45)

I recommend that this be added to your reading list and let me know what you think.