The Rt Revd Mariann Budde photographed outside Canterbury Cathedral during the Bishops’ Retreat at the 2022 Lambeth Conference held in Canterbury in the United Kingdom. Photo: Neil Turner for The Lambeth Conference. Thursday 28th July 2022

For my last interview of 2023, I bring you a special conversation with Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington — and my faith leader. She joined me for the December edition of the Diane Rehm Book Club to discuss her work titled “How We Learn to Be Brave.”

In it, Bishop Budde explores the decisive moments in life when we are called to push past our fears and act with strength. Using examples from literature, her own life, the gospel, and the lives of others, she writes that being brave is not a singular occurrence, but a journey that we can choose to undertake every day.

I thought this was a perfect message to share as we say goodbye to one year and welcome the next. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

Wishes for peace and joy in 2024!

Listen here: