My software developer hubby wants to know why the new blog has a name like, “Walking Across Egypt.” I forgive him. He’s a techie more given to reading books about Java, Unix and Korn than modern novels.

In the interest of full disclosure: I didn’t walk across Egypt while visiting the Middle East. I chose the name because of my love of North Carolina author Clyde Edgerton’s book by the same name, which is also the title of a hymn.

Seems a good fit. I’m writing about where faith meets life. Edgerton’s book is about elderly churchwoman Mattie Rigsbee’s attempt to put into practice a sermon on showing the love of Christ to “the least of these” her brethren.

Her grown children think the widow is a cracked pot who’s taking this religion stuff way too seriously. Sit dutifully through a sermon if you must, but actually try to live it? Please!

Not to spoil it for you, but the book is filled with the humor and poignancy of Southern life: pound cake, meddling neighbors, stray dogs, delinquent youth. Love is portrayed as complicated, but indeed never failing.

The connection between blog and book? Church-going is easy, but actually integrating real faith into real life is a little like well, walking across Egypt. It can be an arduous journey. Hope you still want to come. Promise it’ll be worth the effort.