Walking With God in a Fragile World

Rating:
Summary: Compassion and suffering over September 11, not war
Review: This slender, but by no means slight, volume comes on the heels of at least two dozen books of essays responding to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. What differentiates it is the view(s)of such prominent and diverse writers as Frederick Buechner, Karen Armstrong, Stanley Hauerwas, Jurgen Moltmann, and Elie Wiesel, who focus with compassionate reflection on the anguish and suffering from the horrible events of that day. So many of the responses to 9-11 (not the least of which is the current military engagement in Iraq, following the ousting of the Taliban in Afghanistan) are often steeped in either the outrageously misplaced seething hatred for our Muslim brothers and sisters of the world (thus effectively blaming the overwhelming innocent majority for the hideous acts of a few fanatics), or the warrior language of revenge, frequently arising from the agonizing consternation such terrorism provokes. This thoughtful and deeply heart-felt book is a remedy in such times of desperation and helplessness. Such compassion is not born of naivete or heedless pacifism. On the contrary, true compassion, as expressed in these writings, is the essence of prayerfully embracing our humanity with hope for our shared future. My thanks to all the contributing authors for their efforts.