I am joining the throngs of bloggers who have read or are reading Gilead, by Marrilynne Robinson. I finished it last night. I found the expression of the narrator’s feelings about his life, his faith, and his sin very moving. If we would all examine our motives as honestly as Rev. Ames did, we would make some real progress on our spiritual journeys. I hope to write more about it later, but I just wanted to post something today to urge any who have hesitated to read this book because you thought it would be too slow moving or “plotless” to take the plunge. The plot–the story that makes you want to keep on reading–is the life of Rev. Ames and, as the book draws to a close, it is the desire to know how things are resolved with Jack Boughton. Gilead is worth reading on many levels, but at the very least, it will cause you to stop and think about your own spiritual journey and your motives, your thoughts, your actions along the way.