One of the disconcerting facts about the spiritual life is that God takes you at your word.

As a child, I came across the Bible, but nobody in my family had anything to do with religion. I just felt a profound truth there that appealed to me.

Communities are made up of the unlovable as well as the lovable.

If I have achieved anything in my life, it is because I have not been embarrassed to talk about God.

My strength returns to me with my cup of coffee and the reading of the psalms.

Maybe I was praying for him then, in my own way. Does God have a set way of prayer, a way that He expects each of us to follow? I doubt it. I believe some people-- lots of people-- pray through the witness of their lives, through the work they do, the friendships they have, the love they offer people and receive from people. Since when are words the only acceptable form of prayer?

What I read in the Bible seemed to me to be very much a part of daily life.