I do not have deep theological understanding or opinion, but I do not read the Bible as the literal word of God.

I'm human, you're human, let me greet your humanness. Let's be people together for a while.

Certainty is missing the point entirely.

The first holy truth in God 101 is that men and women of true faith have always had to accept the mystery of God's identity and love and ways. I hate that, but it's the truth.

Life does not seem to present itself to me for my convenience, to box itself up nicely so I can write about it with wisdom and a point to make before putting it on a shelf somewhere.

There's a lovely Hasidic story of a rabbi who always told his people that if they studied the Torah, it would put Scripture on their hearts. One of them asked, "Why on our hearts, and not in them?" The rabbi answered, "Only God can put Scripture inside. But reading sacred text can put it on your heart, and then when your hearts break, the holy words will fall inside.

I used to tell my writing students that they must write the books they wished they could come upon - because then the books they hungered and thirsted for would exist.