Religion and faith can be seen by two different points of view. One point of view is that religion and faith provide a community, comfort and an understanding of how the universe works. But other point of view is that religion and faith are divisive and rigid; forcing us to judge our fellow human beings by their religious identity and not as an individual.
Writer Angela Himsel‘s childhood could have never predicted the direction her life as an adult took. In her memoir published last year, A River Could Be a Tree: A Memoir, Ms. Himself tells her story. Born to a conservative German-American Christian family in Indiana, she was raised to believe that salvation would only come if she followed the Bible to the letter of the law. With the future of her soul in mind, Ms. Himsel decided to spend part of her college years in Israel. She expected that living in the Holy Land would bring her closer to her Christian faith. Instead, the experience opened her eyes to a world of different perspectives and people. The time in Israel led her ultimately to a conversion to Judaism and a new life as a Jewish woman living in New York City.
This book is a marvel. It’s a marvel because it speaks of the power of faith and the idea where we start in life does not always dictate where we go in our later years.
I recommend it.
Writergurlny 