Comfort Ye: Finding Light in Times of Darkness

After the 9/11 attacks, the Forward Movement of the Episcopal Church rushed into publication a collection of short reflections on the questions suffering raises for Christian life. After Hurricane Katrina, the agency considered a similar response, but instead opted to collect somewhat longer reflections that treat suffering caused by terrorists and natural disasters alongside more quotidian and personal calamities. The result is a volume you can still slide between fingers balled up with grief; the reflections are short enough to bite off easily, but meaty enough to chew on at length. The strongest essays are the most personal: a Vietnam vet remembers receiving news of his baby daughter's deadly illness in between combat runs, when he wondered if he was being judged for killing people. A priest reflects on the suicide of a young parishioner that left him speechless and almost pastorally helpless¿and, thankfully, bereft of platitudes. Yet he is thanked profusely by the family for "saying" so much by his mere presence. The more abstract and timeless reflections on the nature of suffering without specific names and faces begin to bore. Yet a distinguished set of authors (Archbishops Desmond Tutu and Rowan Williams) add heft, while some essays by lesser-known authors brim with wisdom.Schmidt, Richard H. is the author of 'Comfort Ye: Finding Light in Times of Darkness', published 2007 under ISBN 9780880283038 and ISBN 0880283033.