Author
KAREN
WESTBROOK
MODEROW
LOVER OF STORY, BIBLE, AND FAMILY
So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time
we will reap, if we do not give up. Gal 6:9
WHY I WRITE
STORY
In our house, we ate stories for dinner. My father was a pastor who brought world travelers, students, scholars, the homeless, widowed and orphaned to our table. Their tales captured my imagination. Story highlights our differences, but also transcends them. Stories connect us to the mysteries of life. They bond us to each other. They shape us. They can even be our salvation.
BIBLE
God’s story saved me. My father, my first guide through Scripture, brought the Bible's saints and scoundrels to life with flare and urgency. As a five-year-old, I couldn't get enough. The “thee’s” and “thou’s” of the King James ushered me into a world where God himself told the stories. Years later, I would realize the poetry of that archaic language evoked a sense of the Holy. I was learning that words had power. The drama, the mystery of Scripture took my breath away. Bible stories told me that God loved me and would never leave me. That nothing was impossible--with God's help, even children could face down, kings, giants, and lions. Such a God was both scary and irresistible.
FAMILY
Family remains my rock, my teacher, and the place I experience the most failure and love. My husband of 52 years Joe, and my sons David and Michael, have seen me at my worst. They love me anyway. The stories of Scripture have taught us to forgive, to offer grace. We have to. Family refuses to let theology be theory. When your mother dies at thirty-nine and your teenage son suffers a traumatic brain injury, fairytales don’t help. Truth does. The truth? God is with us. God's story always leads to love... to life... to him.
Today, God's stories still draw me. They permeate all that I do. Whether writing Bible commentary or a work of fiction, I write in hope. With God, a new beginning is always possible.
MY BIO
Karen Westbrook Moderow
I’m a latecomer. I started grad school at sixty-three then earned two masters degrees in five years—one in Creative Writing and one in Theology. But my life has been rich in experiences that have served me well in crafting stories. Though I’ve had more than my share of losses in my family, I’ve also been blessed with exceptional opportunities. Thanks to the multi-cultural experiences of my childhood, I am drawn toward people who are different from me. I am especially humbled by those in war torn countries who live generous lives in the face of great suffering and prejudice. Equipping these men and women to meet the challenges of their nations in ways they themselves define is a cause I continue to passionately support with my time and resources.
Frederick Beuchner
Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid.