Book 161: Conversations with the Faithful: Seeking Enlightenment over Lunch by Kerry Parry

Those of you that know me personally know I am a deeply spiritual person, but I am not religious in the traditional sense of the word. I believe that we all have our own spiritual journeys to complete, and that limiting ourselves to one dogma or another just limits the scope of our own personal enlightenment. This is why Kerry Parry's book, Conversations with the Faithful: Seeking Enlightenment over Lunch hooked me from the very first page. I also like her name: Kerry Parry, the vowels of which I transposed at least twice during this blog post.

Parry's spiritual journey began with a desire to learn more about others' faith, especially those who seemed to have all their questions answered. Although Parry's family had Mormon roots, she and her family did not adhere to any formal religious practice. Through interviews and research, Parry found her own faith was not lacking; it was simply something she had to unearth, identify, and embrace.

In a thousand different ways, I identified with Parry's journey. I related to her sense of humor, sarcasm, cynicism, and desire for a better understanding of herself. As kids she and I were both exposed to some of the same weirdness of Christianity and came to the same conclusions. Like her, I learned the basic beliefs of the Mormons from a South Park episode (thank you, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.) I felt the same unease with which she approached people who seemed so sure of their beliefs, because I believe rigidity is a weakness, not a strength.

I found this book hilarious and introspective. Definitely worth the read.