Shannon Bream Interview

Reagan Library
Topic: Nothing is Impossible with God: Eleven Heroes. One God. Endless Lessons

Pre-Interview Research

Few people my age engage seriously with theology, so the chance to speak with Mrs. Bream was an amazing opportunity that I was very excited for. I read her book and researched her history with chronic pain, flagging the passages most relevant to the interview. I loved how she emphasized that truly overcoming pain was not being healed, but rather realizing that God would be with you in the midst of that pain.

The Conversation

Mrs. Bream was an incredible speaker, and the conversation we had was one of my favorite interviews I have ever been able to engage in. The full interview can be found in my published article linked below.

What I Learned

Mrs. Bream dismantled the idea that faith makes suffering disappear. The eleven heroes in her book weren’t spared from hardship, they were sustained by faith through it. Healing is not the only answer to prayer. Endurance with God is another, and sometimes the harder one to accept. She also showed me that femininity, leadership, and deep Christian conviction aren’t in opposition. As a young woman, that picture is very influential.

My Take

As the daughter and granddaughter of two breast cancer survivors, living with God amidst pain is something I have grown up watching. I find that when my faith comforts me it is often in suffering and struggle. Saint Catherine of Alexandria, my confirmation saint and the patron of law, modeled exactly this: offering her pain directly to Christ. I do the same every morning, my day, my joys, my suffering, laid at His feet before it begins.

What I’d Do Differently

In the future, I aim to ask questions that are less general and more specific to the material in the book.