Note: the opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of High Country News, its board or staff. If you’d like to share an opinion piece of your own, please write Betsy Marston at betsym@hcn.org.

John Rosenberg is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News. He is a retired Lutheran pastor and an active volunteer in regional salmon recovery efforts. He lives in Tumwater, Oregon.

Michelangelo’s famous statue La Pieta — “The Pity” in Italian — has been the object of Christian and artistic devotion for centuries. Carved from a single block of marble, it depicts the Virgin Mary…