When chaos descends upon us, our instinct is to recoil. We want to escape it, and we want to lean back into what is familiar. We want to cling to what we know because what we know is comfortable. The trouble is, in our longing for normalcy, we let go of the steadying hand of grace.
The feather throughout this marvelous book on the life and writings of Frederick Buechner is grace. As Jeff Monroe navigated his own profound difficulties and suffering, he connected to Buechner’s words.
For most of my life, I have tried to find peace in doing enough of the right things. I believed if I worked hard enough, busied myself with enough things, and developed skills in enough areas I would eventually arrive at some undisclosed location where there would be peace.
Even though the liturgical calendar is familiar terrain for me, for those who are not used to it the liturgical calendar might seem disorienting at first. While the rest of the world counts down to a new year with celebration on December 31, the church begins the new church year with preparation during the season of Advent.
Arthur C. Brooks doesn’t just stick a toe into the current divisive political climate, he dives in headfirst with his book, Love Your Enemies.
We were designed to produce the fruit of the Spirit; it is who we are.
