Boston [05.18-05.21]

Seven brave souls were my first interviews. Here are their self-selected images (face, hands, empty chair) with our questions. And following are a few text and audio highlights from two of the interviews — more to come in time!

Ed, Jesuit priest, 66

Oftentimes I say to myself “where am I going and what am I doing?” and I find later on that’s really of service to others. If I trust my graces I can help people with their graces.

¶

It leads to a kind of being in love with God that didn’t go through a falling in love with God stage. . . . It’s a quiet being in love with God, living with God, living out of God, asking myself how does what I’m doing affect my relationship with God — all of those are crucial to it, but God and I don’t make mad passionate love very often.

¶

All the ways that people misunderstand God are frequently just inadequate ways of understanding God, so I don’t want to take it away from people. As a priest I would never say “Oh, God is not like that” because there’s always some part of the truth in what people have believed.

¶

The supreme quality is that God is able to be related to everything at all times in every way.

¶

I think I can say that — subject to the next time God wants to give me different graces I’ll have to change my mind again.

[audio clips to come]

Jane, lawyer studying pastoral ministry, 42

God has actually made me laugh a lot — [especially] at the times that are the lowest.

¶

So I went for this walk and I just had a this argument with God, like “You’re driving me crazy!”

¶

God is the source of all love. That’s the most simple way that I can explain God . . . . Wherever there’s love, there’s God.

[audio clips to come]