Have you considered what you want on your tombstone? The husband of a close friend said she would have these words, “I am fine, really!” Mine will probably be inscribed with a limerick: Here lies the theologian named Molly T.,…
Practicing resurrection with a new vocabulary
It is a well-known line from Wendell Berry’s Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front: “Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary, some in the wrong direction. Practice resurrection.” I have been thinking about this enigmatic statement as…
When religion turns hateful, it loses its moral voice
In this craziest of presidential primary seasons, I have not mentioned the Republican candidate with the “best plumage,” the colorful description offered by Marilynne Robinson. I have found his words so offensive, his narcissism so egregious, and his attitude toward…
Where is interfaith dialogue going?
Globalization and world religions, interlocking realities in our day, place the great faiths of the world in ever closer proximity. Incidences of violence, done in the name of religion, prompt questions about whether religion is a dangerous force to be…
Leaving a legacy
A significant legacy requires a lifetime of paying attention to God, to others and to the shape of one’s commitments. I was in San Antonio when the news of Buckner Fanning’s death broke. Television stations and newspapers reported expansively on…
Desperate for the Holy
For many, there is great difficulty in getting into God’s presence. Faculty meetings at my seminary begin with worship, with different faculty members bringing forth treasure from their own disciplines. More interesting than the presidential report, to be sure, it…
Grievous words
By Molly T. Marshall “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger” (Prov. 15:1, KJV) was one of the first Bible verses I learned as a child. Not only were we instructed to memorize this instruction,…
The charism of creativity
By Molly T. Marshall One of the first Hebrew words I learned in seminary was bara, the word used of God’s creative activity as recounted in Genesis. My Hebrew teacher carefully instructed the nascent scholars that this word could only…
Watch of wondering love
By Molly T. Marshall If you are bingeing on Hallmark Movies these days (and I have hard evidence that some of the BNG readers are), you can attest that these films are full of “Christmas magic,” encouragement to “just believe,”…