“…instead, let us be vessels of justice without judgment, love without leaving, and grace all-seeing. Let those who see us and would call us hypocrites because we carry the label of ‘Christian’ be humbled by our righteous living. Songs are good for praising God, but if your heart is unchanged, you’re simply babbling noise like an incoherent child.”

The audience is a quiet mix of respect, sleepiness, and note-taking. Carpious listens intently without blinking as does Sydney who is sitting beside him. Solomon has fallen asleep in his mother’s lap as she strokes his hair.

“Who are you? Brother? Father? Mother…sister… son…daughter? When you look in the mirror, when no one is around, who are you? Who does God see? Are your actions driven by what others see or by who you really are?”

Carpious looks down and away as if absorbing and processing what Pastor Russell is saying. He then glances at Sydney to see if she is likewise convicted in any way. She continues to look ahead, listening intently but stopping on occasion to jot down notes in a notebook that is on top of a bible that sits open in her lap.

“My family, I challenge you to do two things this week, starting now. One: Look in the mirror of your soul and ask God to show you who you really are. Do away with the noise and the obligations of the day and listen. You can’t love others without loving yourself. Two: Tell someone you love that you love them without using the word love.“

Laughter fills the auditorium and fades back to silence almost as quickly. Sydney looks at Carpious this time, but he’s looking straight ahead.

“Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with using the word love, but we often times simply use the word as a crutch and we never demonstrate love as a result. So tell someone you love them through action. Now go in peace. Amen.”

(excerpt from PIOUS, a novel by Kenn Bivins)

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My soon-to-be-released novel, PIOUS, is about Carpious Mightson, a man who has his share of secrets. Carpious chooses to cling to people and/or their perspectives of him that paint a prettier picture of how he’d rather see himself. We all have a tendency to do that if we’re not careful. It can sometimes be easier to surround ourselves with the noise of busyness and others than to stare into the silent reflection of self. That is, if we’re honest. read more

Alethea Mightson takes a long last drag on a cigarette that is not much more than a filter as she sits on cobblestone steps bundled in a puffy pink coat with its furry-edged hood pulled over her head. She’s huddled in a crouched position with her head ducked low in an attempt to ward off the January wind that rushes past her. At her feet are at least a dozen cigarette butts, indicating that she’s been sitting on this stoop braving the bitter cold for at least an hour. She grinds the cigarette butt into the ground alongside its departed siblings and looks around. It’s quiet, cold, and overcast, but she seems to have an intent purpose and is willing to wait.

(excerpt from PIOUS, a novel by Kenn Bivins)