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lenten listening

:: illustration by Stephen Crotts ::

last week On Being broadcast an interview with Paul Elie.  he is the author of a book called The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage. it’s a book about four mid-century Catholic writers: Thomas Merton, Flannery O’Conner, Walker Percy,and Dorothy Day.   it’s about reading and being converted.

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we enter the story in the middle; the story precedes us.  it’s the stories of our families, our parents, the story of our region, the story of our religious tradition.

we have certain expectations because of that story that we want to test with our lives.  to see if they stand up, to sound them and see if they’re genuine.

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the interview is 10 years old, but it sounds absolutely timely in these early days of Lent.  i haven’t read his book–there are quite a few holds on it at our library…i love thinking of all of us who listened to the radio show quickly requesting a 10 year old book!  but Paul Elie’s voice is one worth listening too.  he keeps a blog called Everything Rises.  again, worth your quiet attention.  and the On Being show notes collect a wonderful lot of quotes + images + video.  it’s just the sort of curation of things i aspire to myself.

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