Text Box: In her new book, An Altar in the World: a Geography of Faith, Barbara Brown Taylor brings her own personal experiences to bear on a subject that is close to most of us earthly pilgrims: how to satisfy our very human—and likely universal—longing for a relationship with God. As the hymnist wrote, “We are restless, until we find our rest in Thee.” How do we find that rest or, as the author puts it, the “More” in our lives? First of all, Taylor explains, we don’t need to go anywhere, much less travel halfway around the world, to experience the presence of God more fully in our lives. All around us, and indeed anywhere we might stand, is essentially holy ground. What we need to learn is to see the holy (the spiritual) in the ordinary places and experiences of our lives, the sacred in the mundane. What we think is simply worldly and ordinary is, in fact, as wonderful and miraculous as life is ever going to get. What we need to do is pay attention. “The red X that marks the spot,” Taylor writes, “is right here, under our feet.” Text Box: OFF THE LIBRARY SHELF Book Reviews Text Box: In her book, the author identifies twelve practices to move us along our spiritual path, some traditional, a number of them “unorthodox.” She writes about the practice of prayer, of blessing, of walking meditation, for instance. But she also gives us her observations on the practice of paying attention (reverence), the practice of wearing skin (incarnation), the practice of encountering others (community). One of my personal favorites is the practice of saying no (Sabbath). Among her observations was one that drew me up short. In our modern culture we measure worth by our busy-ness. (Had you noticed that?) She observes that in China the polite answer to the question, “How are you?” is “I am very busy, thank you.” As the author follows the consequences of the need to be busy, she realizes keeping busy may also keep us from honoring the commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Think about how we use the Sabbath these days. It is often, except for church, just another day. In many ways An Altar in the World is a very personal book, for the author uses examples and experiences from her own daily life. Sharing her life with the reader adds not just pleasure to our reading, but it also provides concrete examples of how the practices work out in daily life. Will you be rushing to follow each of the practices Taylor puts forth? Maybe. Maybe not. What is guaranteed is that, having read about them, you will be seeing and evaluating your own daily experiences in a different way. You will be paying attention, (the practice of reverence). Joyce Baur Text Box: The children on the island of Bougainville called him Pop-Eye. “He looked like someone who had known great suffering and hadn’t been able to forget it. His large eyes in his large head stuck out farther than anyone else’s—as though they wanted to leave the surface of his face. They had never seen such sadness.“ His real name was Mr. Watts and he was the only white person still on the island. So begins Lloyd Jones’ prize-winning novel, Mr. Pip, the extraordinary tale of a South Seas village under siege where “unbelievable horrors took place and the world paid no attention.” Told through the eyes and voice of 13-year-old Matilda, we experience not just the unbelievable horrors of that time, but the power of story to transform lives. It all began when the islanders rose up to claim independence from Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea in retaliation imposed a blockade, patrolling the sea with gunboats and the air with helicopters. When hope died and fear took its place, Mr. Watts stepped forward with an offer to teach the children in the old schoolhouse. He readily admitted to not being a bona fide teacher, but he said he would do what he could. Text Box: What he did was to introduce the children to the “greatest writer” of all, Charles Dickens. Mr. Dickens himself did not turn up in class, of course. Instead Mr. Watts brought with him a very battered copy of Great Expectations. As soon as he began to read, the class fell silent, transported immediately to a distant land. Each day for several hours Mr. Watts shared the story of a boy named Pip and the Victorian London that was his world. Soon Matilda (and other classmates as well) thought of Pip as a best friend. The streets of London gradually became more familiar than their own island. And soon enough Mr. Watts became Mr. Pip for them. As little by little their homes, their worldly possessions, and any feeling of safety were taken from the children and their families, it was the classroom and their teacher who provided escape into another life. Lloyd Jones, a prolific New Zealand writer, spent some time as a journalist on that desperate island in the Pacific. Now the “unbelievable horrors” have been laid bare, along with the poignant, deeply affecting story of the people who faced it with courage. Not the least of these was that one white man who shared the power of story with all who would listen. In fine prose, the author has given us a tale to remember and to treasure. Joyce Baur