Review: Teaching A Stone To Talk by Annie Dillard

I first discovered Annie Dillard while taking a graduate seminar on Ecocriticism at West Virginia University. Dillard was not part of the assigned reading, but rather an author who my professor and multiple classmates thought I would enjoy as I contemplated writings that considered both the Christian faith tradition and how various American writers of faith had observed nature as a teacher with regard to spiritual truths during this country’s short history.  For the class, I had read her Pulitzer Prize winning book PilgrimAt Tinker Creek, and that book gave me a desire to read more of her works. To be clear, I don't believe that Dillard would call herself a "Christian author" in the sense of one who writes specifically for faith audiences, but I found myself deeply appreciative of her authenticity in writing about her faith and life.

It has been some time since I first read the book, but I remember with some degree of clarity sitting in a Chipotle in or near Worthington, OH as I made my way through some portion of the book while drinking some kind of bottled juice and enjoying a large burrito filled with rice, beans, chicken and lots of flavor.

Teaching A Stone To Talk, originally written in 1982, is a wonderful series of essays about faith, life, and a variety of observations about both that are rooted and grounded in the reality of the author’s experiences of living a life of faith in 20^th century America. To be clear, it isn’t so much a book about faith or about daily life as it is a book about obserations taken in during the rhythms of weeks, months, and years. The essays are grounded and rooted in place and in what feels like actual experiences.

As I read her essays, there were times that I laughed, sympathized, and wept as I considered some of the experiences very akin to some I had also been through. The world needs writers like Dillard that encourage us to think deeply about the every day in light of eternity, and to not take ourselves too seriously. Looking for a good book of essays that has stood the test of time? Grab this book and giving at read, and looking through Dillard’s lens of daily life’s expeditions and encounters.

On My 38th Birthday

As I awoke this morning, I rose with a singular focus. Tired and groggy, but resolute. I began my pre-dawn ritual of reading and exercise with renewed determination.  My wife greeted me at the end of my  solitude and exercise with a wonderful breakfast, made with love, and my heart welled up with gratitude. Even as I write this, I am moved to tears for the gift I have been given to have this truly blessed life, and the opportunity I have to give back to others, and to serve as an ambassador of hope.

One year ago today, when I woke, I was greeted by the African sun, and faced, in an unavoidable way, with the reality that there are people on our planet who live on less than the buying power of one US dollar per day. These are hard working people, who lack in opportunities and choices that most of us take for granted.

One out of six people on our planet live in that condition. They don’t have access to clean drinking water, so quite often they are sick from drinking polluted water. For many living with these challenges, they are malnourished and unable to produce enough food to feed their families. Beyond this, illnesses like malaria and diarrhea threaten their lives in ways that most of us cannot begin to fathom.  And I dream of a day in which injustices like this are not part of our world.

Today I am 38 years old, and I have spent 13879 days learning and growing on this earth.  Each year, and each day for that matter, I find myself learning and growing in my understanding of how to truly live in this world. And the more I learn and grow, I find that the knowledge doesn’t make the living that much easier. Although, the lesson is simple. One’s life in one’s best moments is an opportunity to provide a window to others or a taste of what life looks like when God’s Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as in heaven.  It is those moments when we live out our purpose best, and we love others as we love ourselves. And part of this life is a journey toward cultivating a life that reflects those moments often.

I am reminded today of an Annie Dillard quote—unfortunately I can’t remember the source. It goes something like this. “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” I have 38 years of days, some good and some bad, but all of them are past now. I have seen people living in desperation financially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically, and I’ve seen glimmers of hope piercing past the pain.

I’m not sure how long I will be walking this earth; I guess none of us really are certain, but I want to spend my days, and my life well. Sometimes I think we have grand dreams for what we would like to accomplish and the impact that we will have on the world, and I think that these are great aspirations and hopes we should all run toward.  But at the same time, I know that the best thing I can do (and you as well) is to strive to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. None of us really do that in some grand plan. We do it in our daily interactions, our greetings on the street, our responses to challenges, and our willingness to love others, and be ambassadors of hope.

As I move forward into my 38^th year of life on this planet, I long to make each day count. I long to make a difference in this world, and to be an instrument of ushering in beauty and justice in places where there are despair and injustice.  I’m grateful to be part of work that is helping to create a world in which people living in extreme poverty have choices and opportunities for a better future. And I’m thankful that as part of my role at Nuru, I am able to invite others to join in this amazing work. We all have a contribution to make while we have life and breath on this earth.

May today be a day during which we are able to contemplate what our unique contributions will be, and may we each be diligent in our efforts to make those contemplations reality. May we each strive to love others well, and to make our limited time on this earth count for the good of all.