REVIEWS

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT

Reflections on reality in different measures

Published by: Wild Goose Publictations

Written by: John L Bell

Price: £9.99

As you might expect after a lifetime rooted in the Church of Scotland, John Bell has a wide range of powerful thoughts on a wide range of subjects – including some difficult (and divisive) issues.

The book is based mainly (but not exclusively) around his contributions to the BBC’s Thought For The Day (each as a soundbite has to be two minutes and 40 seconds long) and the author concedes in an introduction that this is suitable for some areas, but not for other ‘areas of magnitude’.

Regardless, the book is worth reading from cover to cover for important and often challenging insights (in particular) into inclusion, equality and justice. The work is uneasy in places, but always deeply rooted in Christian conviction, but also in understanding.

It is also a deeply personal volume – in particular, his address at the Greenbelt Festival of 2017.

The common theme through all is one of faith, hope, life and love and perhaps the best pointer on the premise behind the book is contained in Bell’s introduction: ‘…I believe that neither I nor anyone else has any right to preach or speak on matters of easy agreement if we are not also prepared to deal with what is awkward or contentious.’

He adds: ‘My understanding of the Christian faith is rooted in the belief that all the created universe and the myriad endeavours of humanity exist in the interest and under the aegis of God.

Therefore even closed doors sometimes need to be opened, and favoured attitudes re-examined.’

THE LIFE WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World

Written by: Andy Crouch

Published by: Hodder Faith

Price: £14.99

Whilst written from an American context, this book is thoughtprovoking and will make readers rethink their relationship with technology.

The author, a journalist and writer specialising in faith-based issues, traces the history of technology – and its impact on relationships.

He deftly describes how the advances of technology have led to a loss of the resource of rich relationships with text messages and online contact replacing the connection of telephone calls and in-person contact, but also demonstrates how that relationship can be reclaimed.

Crouch also highlights the importance of a world grounded in rich relationship and how it can be reclaimed by using technology differently – by putting people first in a world that has come to be dominated by money, power and devices.

Throughout the book he draws on the Bible to highlight the lessons of the early Church in restoring the value of relationships in the world.

This will be a fascinating read for many as we seek to engage anew in person in a world which has been shaped and living in the shadow of a global pandemic and rediscover the value of inperson community and connection.

Lynne McNeil

ACROSS A PRAYERFUL PLANET

Written by: Daniel Pauley

Published by: Resource Publications

Price: £21.00 (paperback)

“Taken in moderation, all good travel is a pilgrimage of sorts” suggests Dr Daniel Pawley in his new book Across a Prayerful Planet. Daniel is an American, an Elder in the Church of Scotland Congregation in Lisbon, holds a PhD from Edinburgh University in Ethics, and retired from his post as Professor of Media Studies.

The book is a wonderful travelogue for armchair travellers, who will enjoy his descriptions of 49 cities and towns across the world.

Daniel has a good eye for detail, and brings to life a wide variety of situations. But he shares more than just a travelogue, for he finds prayers everywhere that reflect time and place

In Thailand, at a conference, he found time to discover a Thai cooking class and from there a Buddhist prayer that recognised “This food is the gift of the Universe... may I be worthy to receive it.”

In his now home country of Portugal, he visited Tomar, a place of operation of the Knights Templar from 1100 before the order was transformed to the Knights of the Christ two centuries later.

A church with pinnacles, cloister and medieval mood looks on with indifference at the passing of time. Theirs was a story of muscular Christianity, Daniel chose the Jesuit prayer as a response to them: “Lord to love you just because you are my God”.

He dips down into the undercurrents that created the modern Czech Republic, identifying the danger of insincere words as he stood in the Museum of Communism in Prague, recalling the words of Psalm 12 “the faithful have vanished. Everyone lies”, the Psalmist apocalyptic prayer.

Linlithgow and the Outlander series are a far cry from the devastation of the Czech Republic. Daniel manages to record that the series has no less than thirty religious figures, a host of Christian rituals and no less than fourteen prayers and graces. Jamie, the hero in Outlander offers the Soul Peace prayer from the Carmina Gadelica “Oh! The strong Michael in peace with thee, soul, preparing for thee the way to the Kingdom of God”

Throughout the book, some beautiful descriptions of his own life journey from America through many cities and continents. All the time exploring the life of prayer as it is evident in the shrines and the devotion of the people of that time. From Ancient Greece to modern Macau, from the States to Japan, the world is covered with excellent descriptions, great affection and beautiful prayers.

A book for the searcher, as well as the armchair traveller.

Norman Hutcheson