Author David Kerrigan
Publisher BRF £8.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780857465702
An Advent-themed collection of Bible readings and contemplations, this book offers a Christian perspective on our heavily troubled world that takes the reader from 1 December to 6 January, inviting personal reflection on issues both big (war) and small (personal regrets). It encourages the reader towards a spiritual response rather than a practical set of suggestions: if we fall out with people we should pray for them and try to see the good in them, we should respond to an influx of refugees with “compassion”. As such, a little more of the author’s own hands-on experience as a missionary leader in some of the world’s most troubled areas would have been good, although it becomes clear he has seen and practised faith at the sharp end. A publication of the Bible Reading Fellowship, this book is well-founded in scripture, although readers might find it a little inconvenient to have to stop and turn to their Bible to find the day’s reading before going back to this commentary. But some extracts are printed in full, and opening the New Testament, both literally and metaphorically, is the key to understanding a thoughtful book such as this.
NICK MAYHEW-SMITH
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