Description:
In The Holy Intimacy of Strangers author Sarah York awakens readers to the potential for spiritual growth in every chance encounter. Once we recognize strangers as spiritual mirrors, life takes on a new meaning. We discover that a sacred spark can ignite anywhere, at any time--in parks, grocery stores, trains, elevators, checkout lines... the possibilities are endless.York, an ordained minister, draws upon personal stories--her own as well as those of others--to illustrate the many ways we can better know ourselves (the stranger within), as well as the divine, through encounters with strangers. "The notion of intimacy with strangers poses an intriguing paradox," writes York, "we encounter the familiar in the unfamiliar, the known in the unknown, the self in the other, and the other in the self." These aren't just stories about the kindness of strangers; some encounters are disarming and even threatening. Although the spiritual messages are rich and well mined, York also ventures into political lessons. When we stop seeing strangers as "the other," and begin to see them as fellow citizens of our global village, we can no longer distance ourselves from humanity's suffering. --Gail Hudson
| 
