Growing up in modern American evangelicalism, I have my fair share of cringey memories. Like the time I wore my smug t-shirt that cleverly disguised the name “Jesus” as the Reese’s logo. Or the time I was the only kid in my religion class who knew what the word “incarnation” meant, and all the kidsContinue reading “American merit monger”
Tag Archives: god
Proverbs 31 isn’t about a boss babe
Is she thin and petite, delicate and fairy-like? Is she a tall drink of water, elegantly gliding down the runway? Is she curvy and voluptuous, rounded in all the correct ways? Is she strong and athletic, sculptural and powerful? We can’t decide what the ideal woman should look like. I’m a millennial, and can rememberContinue reading “Proverbs 31 isn’t about a boss babe”
Calvinist stan
In 2015, I told my husband that I was officially joining the Buffalo Bills fanbase, otherwise known as Bills Mafia. He knew what I was in for, having been born in Western New York, and warned me, “They’ll break your heart.” But that’s the cost of being a fan of literally anything. Once you decideContinue reading “Calvinist stan”
Fundie
I recently listened to the podcast, “The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling,” which explored not only the author’s journey from beloved to blacklisted, but also the psychology behind fundamentalism, and yes, witch hunts.* Fundamentalism is classically defined as a strict belief in the literal interpretation of Scripture, but it has been applied to mean strictContinue reading “Fundie”
A gift
I had a speech prepared. Short and sweet. Something I could rattle off before they shoved me out of the house and back into the street. My hands were sweating as I clutched the cool vessel against my heart. As I made my way down the street, I almost turned back a hundred times. EachContinue reading “A gift”
Sent
The mud was stiff and dry on my skin, and I was shaking as I knelt by the side of the pool. I reached down till I felt the water, then cupped my hands, gathered some in my palms, and splashed my face. It was quiet all around me. I was glad nobody else wasContinue reading “Sent”
A riddle
I’ve never heard that one before. He’s not the first philosopher to come through town. They’ve all got something new to say, or so they claim. But credit where credit is due. That’s a new one. God will do good to those who do good to Him. He will enrich those who are rich towardContinue reading “A riddle”
A little taste of home
Sometimes we could have onions. They were crisp and sweet, their sharpness cooled with dill or curds. Sometimes we could have cucumbers. Those were my favorite. Like a slice of water on the tongue. Thinking of it makes me thirsty. Some people say they can’t remember the taste of fruit, or the smell of rain,Continue reading “A little taste of home”
Katie Bertola 