I picked up Nancy French’s new memoir Ghosted at last month’s Festival of Faith and Writing and began reading it on the flight home to Seattle. This almost never happens when I read non-fiction, but I burned through Ghosted, finishing it in a few sittings. That’s not just because the writing and storytelling is strong, but also because Nancy French and her husband David are some of the voices speaking most clearly against Donald Trump’s cooption of the American evangelical church.
Nancy and I are different in a lot of ways: I’m a Christian living in Seattle, where cultural Christianity is not to be found. Nancy, from the South and residing near Nashville, has very much lived in, and for decades was deeply welcomed by, conservative evangelical culture.
That changed after she and David spoke out against Trump, and threats and vitriolic comments and posts from folks claiming the Christian banner became even more vicious. An example from this past week alone: the asinine about face the PCA took in disinviting David French to speak at its annual convention.
Unlike the PCA leadership who ironically ousted David from a panel called “How to Be Supportive of Your Pastor and Church Leaders in a Polarized Political Year,” I wanted to talk about polarization with someone who knows it better than many of us ever will. I wanted to talk to someone across difference: I’d estimate we’re moderates on different sides of the aisle in an era where connecting across that aisle is less common. I wanted to talk to Nancy because even though we may come from different places, we can agree on a lot of things, primarily that following Jesus brings release and hope in the presence of affliction.
But mostly, I wanted to talk to Nancy because she is grounded and lovely. She is bearing suffering with a recent cancer diagnosis with bravery and honesty. She’s spirited and funny — you’ll want to be her friend after 20 minutes.
I’m pleased to share a short video interview with Nancy. In the conversation, we talk about how, in her words, she wanted to write a book that would not garner invitations to speak in most churches and how, because of and not in spite of her cancer diagnosis, she is learning how to appreciate her body in new ways. A bit more about Nancy:
Nancy French has collaborated on multiple books for celebrities — five of which made the New York Times best seller list — and written books under her own name. She has conducted a multi-year journalistic investigation, written commentary, and published for the nation’s most prominent newspapers and magazines. Ghosted is out now.
If you’d prefer to listen to the conversation instead of watch, click play below:
“Walk in the woods with me.”
I’m pleased to share that my friend
’s latest book released earlier this week. I’ve read it cover to cover, and I’m ready for my second read.In The Understory, Lore shares her story of alienation and disorientation after years of religious and political unrest in the evangelical church. In doing so, she looks to an unlikely place — the forest — to learn how to live and even thrive when everything seems to be falling apart.
What can we learn from eroding soil, the decomposition process, the time it takes to grow lichen, the beauty of fiddlehead ferns, the regeneration of self-sowing seeds, and walking through the mud? Here, among the understory of the forest, Lore discovers rich metaphors for living a rooted and flourishing life within the complex ecosystems of our world. Her tenderness and honesty will help you grieve, remember, hope, and press on with resilience. I love this book, it’s grounding and honest, and I’m eager to come back to The Understory over the months and years ahead.
The Understory is available anywhere books are sold; you can order through Baker Book House for 30% off with free shipping.
Thanks for reading.
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Learning how to lose