Open Chested

Annie Dillard's historical novel, The Living, tells the story of several generations who settled in the area of Bellingham Bay, Washington. Those familiar with her Pulitzer Prize winning Pilgrim at Tinker Creek will recognize a similar pattern here. Looking closely at the details of life in all its beauty and brutality, Dillard offers her Yes to the collective package. Lots of people die in the book, continually reminding us that this life belongs to the living. We are called to turn toward that Life open chested as the Spirit of God lifts our gaze from the soul's incurvature upon itself.

Our friend, Eva, understands what it is to live open chested, and she is a big fan of The Living. That is why she and her husband, Josh, took a side trip to Bellingham Bay, where she struck her "grace pose." Maybe this will be the first in a growing collection!