In the opening shots of Martin McDonagh’s film The Banshees of Inisherin, we’re introduced to a fictional Irish town that, at first glance, seems totally idyllic. We descend from the sky, taking in the emerald sweep of pastureland. As the camera drifts along the seaside, we hear strains of an ethereal chorus sung in Gaelic.Continue reading “Maybe There Are Banshees: Friendship, Fault Lines, & the Fractured Conscience of American Christianity”
Category Archives: Reflective Essay
Rethinking the Rainbow: What I Learned About Queer Pride by Leaving Christianity
“Wow, that sounds a lot like coming out!” Recently, while sharing the story of my deconversion from Christianity, I received this same response from two friends – one straight, the other queer. Both of them recognized similarities between the struggles I faced as an apostate and the hardships encountered by queer people embracing their sexuality.Continue reading “Rethinking the Rainbow: What I Learned About Queer Pride by Leaving Christianity”
The Child in the Library: My Spiritual Deconstruction
I never expected to write this post. When I started the blog that became wordsforwayfarers.com several years ago, I saw my writing as a kind of ministry. By exploring echoes of the Christian message in contemporary books, movies, songs, and albums, I hoped to demonstrate the relevance of Christianity to all of life. Many ofContinue reading “The Child in the Library: My Spiritual Deconstruction”
Into the Wild: An Invitation to My 2024 Artistic Journey
Two days ago, I braved icy winds and traveled by train and foot to the Music Box Theater in north Chicago, eager to watch Andrew Haigh’s new film, All of Us Strangers. It’s a bizarre, lyrical, and devastating story, impossible to categorize and easily one of my favorite films of the year. I expect I’llContinue reading “Into the Wild: An Invitation to My 2024 Artistic Journey”
“The Guy in the Green Hat”: Life Lessons from The Legend of Zelda
During college, I spent four years living with a guy who loved The Legend of Zelda. Not only did he own the classic Zelda video games, but he enjoyed playing through them all in release order. He would start with Ocarina of Time, follow that up with Majora’s Mask, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess, andContinue reading ““The Guy in the Green Hat”: Life Lessons from The Legend of Zelda”
Jesse’s Favorites of 2021
Welcome! It’s that time of year again – the time when we get to look back on the past year and reflect on which parts of it were most meaningful to us. One of my favorite ways to do this is by listing the five music albums, five books, and five movies that were mostContinue reading “Jesse’s Favorites of 2021”
The Greatest Joke Ever Told
If you asked any of my family members to describe my grandfather, it wouldn’t take long for them to mention his laugh. As an author and former preacher, Grandpa Hayden had lots of opportunities to practice the art of storytelling. As an instigator of shenanigans in his younger years, he also had lots of fuelContinue reading “The Greatest Joke Ever Told”
Brokenness, Beauty, and the Ballad of Samwise Gamgee
There’s a great moment near the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers that I’ve been pondering recently. The scene is set in Osgiliath, a military outpost on the edge of the noble kingdom of Gondor. Osgiliath is under siege, targeted by dragons that are dive-bombing it from the sky and ripping its rampartsContinue reading “Brokenness, Beauty, and the Ballad of Samwise Gamgee”
The Bittersweet Burden of Leaving and Letting Go
About a month ago, my little brother and I were driving through the hills of western Pennsylvania, watching the fiery colors of autumn flash by the windows. We had just left the home of one of my college roommates and were on our way to visit another roommate in Maryland. To pass the time, myContinue reading “The Bittersweet Burden of Leaving and Letting Go”
Finding Fellowship
One of my earliest memories is of my dad reading to my brothers and me before bedtime. I remember laying propped up on my elbows, listening as Dad worked his way through old paperback copies of Watership Down and The Fellowship of the Ring. As he read, my head swirled with images of dark forests where strange beastsContinue reading “Finding Fellowship”
Words for Wayfarers 