So, the writing of the new manuscript is coming along, but I had to change the title. Love Stronger than Death: The Passion of Mary Magdalene was just too wordy and high-falutin’. Besides, everyone was referring to it as The Magdalene Poems, so I took that as a sign from You-Know-Who to make the alteration. I like it much better, and I’m finding I just love the insights I’m gaining from the research, but also from my own writing. Someone said, “I write to discover what I know.” And for the first time I think I understand what that person meant. But there’s so much interesting stuff I didn’t know I knew!
To that point, one of my colleagues at the last Writers’ Salon asked me what my image of Christ was. A fascinating question, and one I had to think about for a moment. I finally replied that my image of Christ changes with what I read. And that’s true. But what I’m discovering now is that my image of Christ also changes with what I write! The Christ of The Magdalene Poems is vulnerable and shy, sometimes filled with doubts, capable of committing the most horrendous blunders, awkward, needy, kind, compassionate and funny. I studied images of Christ in my Christology class but I’ve never known this Christ until now.
And I am becoming quite fond of him.
