Front page of my local paper …

Knowing it’s Easter, I expected to find hundreds of good articles on faith choking my Google Reader, but I didn’t need to log on to find an excellent article on Christian baptism. A quick walk through the snow to my mailbox allowed me to find God's good news on the cover of the Lansing State Journal.

Kathleen Lavey’s story, titled “Born again: For many, baptism is new beginning,” took up two-thirds of page. I have admired Kathleen’s writing on faith since my days working full time for the Amy Foundation, and I have been watching for one of her stories to qualify for the Amy Writing Awards.

Today's article qualified with its sub-caption: "For we were buried with Him by means of baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ has arisen from the dead … so we may also walk in newness of life. -- Romans 6:4".

Kathleen writes:

Allison Davis was ready to make a statement about what she believes.

So she took a leap of faith last Sunday - into the baptismal font at New Hope Church in Haslett.

"It's me telling the world that I am a Christian and telling the world that I am committed to living a Christian life," said Davis, 22, of East Lansing.

Today, most Christians celebrate Easter, the holiest and most joyous holiday of the church season. It commemorates the day they believe Jesus - put on trial, beaten and crucified to redeem the sins of humankind - rose from the dead.

Davis is among a nationwide group of Christians who are using the Easter season to declare their faith through baptism or by formally joining a church.
Read More>>

What I have always liked about Kathleen’s writing is her even-handed, personal approach to faith issues, such as baptism. After starting with a current event (i.e., Allison Davis's baptism), she includes a section on the historical roots of baptism and explains both protestant and catholic perspectives.

Kathleen’s article ends where it begins with Davis’s testimony of why she decided to be baptized and what it means to her faith:

"I was the kind of person who would worry and stress about things. (Now) there is a higher power who takes the stress off of me," she said. "I try to live my life in a Christian sense. I've stopped gossiping about people. Certain things that seemed so important to me before seem to be like little things you don't need in your life now."

This is an engaging, well written, Amy Writing Award-qualifying article. Good job, Kathleen, keep up the good work!