The Salt and Light Express, faith, grief, and finding the next right thingPastor Bo Gordy-Stith interviews Lee Ann Walling about her debut novel, The Salt and Light Express, and the spiritual questions running through it. The conversation also touches on her path at Epworth, her work in communications, and how her own life experiences shaped the book’s themes of grief, community, forgiveness, and love. Key topicsBo introduces Lee Ann Walling as Epworth’s podcast host, musician, and longtime community builder, including her work on the Gordon's Pond Trail and in media and communications for nonprofits.Lee Ann talks about The Salt and Light Express, the first of two planned novels, and how spirituality is woven into everyday life rather than limited to church settings.In the novel, Chris grieves the death of her partner Sally, travels west in an RV, and begins piecing her life back together in Moab, Utah.The book explores how community forms among strangers, including people Chris initially misjudges, such as two Texans in a large motorhome and Jared, a Southern Baptist preacher who becomes a friend.Lee Ann discusses centering prayer, mindfulness, and the tension between wanting to quiet the mind and wanting to pray for specific outcomes like safety, strength, or healing.The novel questions what core beliefs are actually required to live as a Christian in 21st-century America, with the teachings of Jesus and the Beatitudes as a central reference point.Community and local action come up as a contrast to national polarization, with Lee Ann emphasizing feeding people, serving face to face, and working together through practical ministries.The story includes a major forgiveness arc involving a teenage driver whose inattention causes the fatal accident, and Lee Ann explains how research into Delaware law shaped that plotline.Another major thread is found family, as Chris tries to reconnect with relatives who are judgmental and discovers belonging elsewhere.The conversation also covers Claire, a Black character who becomes central to the love story, and how Lee Ann worked through questions of representation and stereotypes with a sensitivity reader.She closes by describing how Epworth has become a place where she feels known and able to contribute through music and podcasting.Timestamps00:00 - Intro to Lee Ann Walling, Epworth, and her creative path 03:08 - Chris, grief, and the spiritual landscape of the novel 04:37 - Misjudging people and discovering community 05:37 - Jesus, the Beatitudes, and the book’s faith questions 07:02 - Prayer, mindfulness, and centering prayer 08:41 - What prayer means in everyday life 09:55 - From autobiographical fiction to a more plotted second novel 12:06 - The next right thing as a life philosophy 13:06 - Forgiveness, non-dual thinking, and community surprises 14:28 - Why community matters more than national outrage 16:25 - Family rejection and reaching for connection 17:33 - Family research, ancestry, and writing from experience 20:09 - Forgiveness in the accident storyline 22:45 - Forgiveness as ongoing practice 23:15 - Spiritual direction and the question, “What were you hoping for?” 26:32 - Claire, love, and the emotional stakes of vulnerability 29:02 - Why the book is hopeful and works well for book clubs 30:20 - How the book is being categorized and what the next novel will explore 31:49 - Leaning into LGBTQ storytelling and lived experience 32:19 - The title, the Beatitudes, and the audiobook 33:13 - Closing thoughts on Epworth and finding a place to serve
