Gilead

by

Marilynne Robinson

Water

Water symbolizes God’s grace—God’s freely-given love and redemption. In Christianity, water is strongly associated with the sacrament of baptism, by which a person (whether an infant or an adult) is initiated into the church. The…

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Fire and Light

Fire and light symbolize God’s power working within and through the created world. Sometimes that power manifests in fierce and seemingly destructive ways. John associates lightning with his grandfather, an unpredictable and occasionally violent…

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