Sheridan Voysey

Four Questions on the Nation’s Soul (Part 6)

Sheridan Voysey — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:15:18 +0000

I’m embarrassed to admit it but I was moved by the film The Notebook. A hanky-soaking love story, the plot revolves around two elderly residents in a nursing home—Duke dutifully visiting Mrs Hamilton every day, reading her a hand-written story from a notebook about two young lovers in the 1940’s.

At the end of the movie we see something beautiful happen on the face of Mrs Hamilton. As Duke reads the final lines of the notebook her eyes open wide, she looks at the old man sitting next to her and says, ‘Yes, I remember now! Duke, that story is about us!’ And for a few brief moments the old woman snaps out of her Alzheimer’s and remembers who she is and who she’s married to.

In the telling of a special story, Mrs Hamilton’s confusion is interrupted and she returns to reality.

We live in a world confused about meaning, guidance, liberation and love—as this video series has been exploring. Is there a story that can interrupt that confusion, open our eyes, and bring us back to reality?

I believe there is, and in this 9 minute video I tell it.

Catch up with the rest of the series:

You can watch more videos of mine here, or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

I will be exploring these topics further in a future book tentatively called More Than This. In the meantime, if you like where this post headed you might also like my book Unseen Footprints or the audiobook.

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Question: Your general comments welcome. Share them now

Four Questions on the Nation’s Soul (Part 5)

Sheridan Voysey — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:09:53 +0000

In a materialistic world, where can I find meaning? In a confusing world, where can I find guidance? In a broken world, where can I find liberation? And in a lonely world, where can I find love?

In this 6-part video series I’m exploring social trends that suggest four spiritual questions are bubbling up from the souls of secular countries like the UK, US and Australia. In this 5 minute video I look at trends like single-person households in Australia, the phenomenal rise of social networking sites, and ‘sexting’ as signs of our search for love.

Catch up with the rest of the series:

Introduction: Anxious Questions
Question 1: In a materialistic world, where can I find meaning?
Question 2: In a confusing world, where can I find guidance?
Question 3: In a broken world, where can I find liberation?
Question 4: In a lonely world, where can I find love?
A Story

You can watch more videos of mine here, or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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Question: How else do you see us searching for love? Tell me now

Four Questions on the Nation’s Soul (Part 4)

Sheridan Voysey — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:21:09 +0000

In a materialistic world, where can I find meaning? In a confusing world, where can I find guidance? And in a broken world, where can I find liberation?

In this 6-part video series I’m exploring social trends that suggest four spiritual questions are bubbling up from the souls of secular countries like the UK, US and Australia. In this 5 minute video, I look at trends like ‘secular confessionals’, the rise of counselling centres and the discovery of forgiveness by the healing professions as signs of our search for personal freedom.

Catch up with the rest of the series:

Introduction: Anxious Questions
Question 1: In a materialistic world, where can I find meaning?
Question 2: In a confusing world, where can I find guidance?
Question 3: In a broken world, where can I find liberation?
Question 4: In a lonely world, where can I find love?
A Story

You can watch more videos of mine here, or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

***

Question: How else do you see us searching for liberation? Tell me now

Four Questions on the Nation’s Soul (Part 3)

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:17:41 +0000

My wife once told me about a single colleague of hers who, feeling lonely one Saturday, walked down the road to consult the local fortune teller. This woman was looking for guidance. ‘Where is my life heading? What does the future hold? Will I always be lonely?’ she wondered. She isn’t alone in seeking answers about the future and how she should live.

In this 6-part video series I’m exploring social trends that suggest spiritual questions are bubbling up from the souls of secular countries like the UK, US and Australia. In this 6 minute video, Part 3, I look at the popularity of life coaching, Mind-Body-Spirit festivals and the Dalai Lama as ways our ‘secular’ societies are searching for spiritual guidance.

Catch up with the rest of the series:

Introduction: Anxious Questions
Question 1: In a materialistic world, where can I find meaning?
Question 2: In a confusing world, where can I find guidance?
Question 3: In a broken world, where can I find liberation?
Question 4: In a lonely world, where can I find love?
A Story

You can watch more videos of mine here, or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

***

Question: How else do you see us searching for guidance? Tell me now

Four Questions on the Nation’s Soul (Part 2)

Sheridan Voysey — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:44:24 +0000

In his book The Future Files, futurist Richard Watson outlines five current world trends. One of them he describes as a ‘renewed search for personal meaning’.

In this 6-part video series I’m exploring social trends that suggest spiritual questions are bubbling up from the souls of secular countries like the UK, US and Australia. In this 8 minute video, Part 2, I look at the rise of workplace spirituality, voluntourism and consumerism, and suggest that they are part of what Richard Watson is talking about.

Catch up with the rest of the series:

Introduction: Anxious Questions
Question 1: In a materialistic world, where can I find meaning?
Question 2: In a confusing world, where can I find guidance?
Question 3: In a broken world, where can I find liberation?
Question 4: In a lonely world, where can I find love?
A Story

You can watch more videos of mine here, or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

***

Question: How else do you see us searching for meaning? Tell me now

Four Questions on the Nation’s Soul (Part 1)

Sheridan Voysey — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:16:12 +0000

George Bernard Shaw once said that if you want to see how a society thinks, look at what it searches for.

In this 6-part video series, filmed at the Living Stones Leaders Conference in Adelaide, May 2011, I explore social trends like Mind-Body-Spirit festivals, life coaching, voluntourism, ‘secular confessionals’ and more to suggest that four questions are bubbling up from the Australian soul which hint at a spiritual search.

The series looks like this:

I’ll post a video in the series each day this week.

In this 6 minute introductory video I tell the story of a lady in an old floral dress who once asked me a most unusual question in a most unusual way! When you think about it, however, we’ve all asked a similar question ourselves.

I gave this keynote the day before leaving Australia to live in the UK, and was a little tired as I took to the podium. But those Adventist Schools Australia educational leaders who made up the audience were a most warm and gracious crowd.

You can watch more videos of mine here, or subscribe to my YouTube channel. The podcast of a similar address I gave at Australia’s Parliament House is also available, if you’d rather listen than watch.

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Question: What signs do you see that ‘secular’ countries like the UK, US and Australia are spiritually searching? Tell me now

Readable (11/5)

Sheridan Voysey — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:27:55 +0000

This week’s interesting links and articles:

Persistent Prayer in a Digital Age (Father Kevin, BigBible.org.uk): “Increasingly, many of us are annoyed when people don’t reply to our calls, e-mails, and texts in short order. Bring this sort of expectation into the realm of prayer and believers in the 21st century are setting themselves up for frustration.”

Have we lost the art of friendship? (Marijke Hoek, EAUK.org): “Sociologists have found that never before in western lifestyle has there been such an erosion of the wide range of relationships. In a busy lifestyle, we have neglected not only the role of friendship but also of tribe, extended family, fellowship, and community.”

Why the Hook-up Culture Is Sexist (Glenn Stanton, ChristianityToday.com): “The only winners of the sexual revolution have been the pornographers and other low-life misogynists. It ended up hurting all the rest far more profoundly than anyone ever imagined.”

Furniture Fit For the Kingdom (ThisIsOurCity.org): “Harrison Higgins builds furniture made to last hundreds of years. In this short film, he describes the theology behind his furniture-making—and the beauty revealed when we treat the creation as more than a resource or even a social cause, but as a sacrament.” (video)

Looking beyond ourselves to remain true to one’s self (Brian Rosner, TheAge.com.au): “In the case of Christian faith, rather than finding or defining yourself, being known by God is thought to be the key to knowing who we are. Looking beyond ourselves in order to be found might just be the key ingredient if we are to avoid an ocean of confusion and anxiety.”

And in case you missed it:

One Meal. One Body (Sheridan Voysey, OurDailyJourney.org): “A sacrifice brought God and humanity together. A shared meal brought people together. In a most extraordinary act, Jesus became both sacrifice and fellowship meal, bringing us altogether with God.”

Jean Vanier on Welcoming the Humiliated (SheridanVoysey.com): “Pauline arrived at the L’Arch community suffering from epilepsy, paraplegia, and anger due to decades of humiliation. She needed to be loved, listened to and helped to discover that ‘she is more beautiful than she dares believe’.”

Healing the Wounds of Sexual Abuse (SheridanVoysey.com): “And then I began to realise just how broken I had been. I started to understand where my hurt and disappointment had come from and that I am not condemned. I began to forgive all who had failed me. It was the start of a brand new life.”

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Jean Vanier on Welcoming the Humiliated

Sheridan Voysey — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:46:33 +0000

Jean Vanier is founder of L’Arch, a worldwide network of communities that welcome and care for people with learning disabilities. In 1964 he became aware of the thousands of people in France institutionalised with developmental delays. Feeling led by God, Vanier invited two men to leave their institutions and share his home in Trosly-Breuil, France, and today there are now over 130 L’Arch communities around the world.

In this moving 7 minute film from Alter magazine, Jean Vanier tells the story of Pauline, a woman who arrived at L’Arch suffering from epilepsy and paraplegia, and who was quite violent due to decades of humiliation. As Jean explains, Pauline needed more than professional help. She needed to be loved, listened to and helped to discover that ‘she is more beautiful than she dares believe.’

This is a powerful story of how patient, self-giving love can transform shame, jealousy and humiliation. But it takes time. As Jean says, growth is a long road.

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Question: How can we best welcome the humiliated in our own lives? Share your thoughts now

Healing the Wounds of Sexual Abuse: Jenny’s Story

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:14:51 +0000

Picture: Ashley Rose

‘Jenny’ contacted me after watching Andy Sorenson describe his childhood sexual abuse. Please note that her story is graphic in places. But it is a story of hope and healing too.

***

I grew up in a large, dysfunctional home. Apparently both of my parents were having affairs—I’m told that my father used the front lounge room for romantic trysts with his girlfriend and my mother used the kitchen for those with her boyfriend. After much fighting, they split up when I was 3 or 4. My memories of that time are of fear, hunger and feeling cold.

As my eight siblings and I grew up, our uncle started appearing on the scene. I remember one occasion when he took us to the local heath, supposedly to play cricket. I can remember lying underneath him and him rubbing himself against me in a strange manner. I remember feeling that this was OK as he must like me.

I used to play outside in the street and one day our local insurance man came by. He took me away in his car and I remember entering a park, climbing a tree, and seeing him standing at the bottom of the tree looking up at me. I don’t remember anything more, other than getting back home again. I believe God wiped the memories of this further abuse from my already troubled young mind.

I cannot remember if it was before this time or afterwards that my brother came into my bedroom and forced me to perform oral sex on him. I would have been no more than 8 or 9 years old. I also remember my mother’s boyfriend touching me in places he shouldn’t have.

As a result of these experiences, I developed the idea that people would love me if I was attractive. So, my appearance became very important to me. Later on I also started experimenting sexually with another of my brothers, believing this was the way to gain love.

I called out to God many times during my childhood years, especially when my older brother found out what had been happening with my brother and threatened to reveal it to my mother. I thought there was no answer to those prayers back then but, looking back, I think there had been. I eventually told my mother what had been happening, and believe this was God’s way of strengthening me to not let anyone have such control over me again.

By 1988 I was 36 years old, onto my second marriage (the first one bad, the second very good) with two small children. My life was going OK, although I didn’t always manage the children well. Sometimes I got angry and threw things; once or twice I smacked the children hard. I was still obsessed with my looks to the exclusion of almost everything else.

In an effort to regain my figure after having my kids I embarked on a health crusade and joined a gym. And it was there that I met a lovely Christian lady named Michelle. Michelle told me that Jesus loved me and I broke down in tears. To hear that I was loved was all I’d ever longed to hear.

I got home, knelt at my bed and cried out to Him. And it felt like His arms were wrapped around me, drawing me close. Everything looked brighter, sunnier, clearer and more hopeful then. Everything started to make sense.

But I was still obsessed with my looks. I still wanted to be loved and accepted by others and I still experienced strong feelings of rejection whenever I didn’t feel this love and acceptance. I would become resentful, hitting out at people, and reject anyone who was appearing to reject me, without understanding why.

My husband and I moved to country Western Australia and there I joined a local theatre group. Aha! Here was fame, acceptance and approval! I got attention in the theatre scene alright, but not the good kind. I started ‘playing around’ with other cast members. Feeling like a hypocrite I backslid from church. My marriage began to suffer.

I fell to my knees again and experienced God’s gracious forgiveness. But my struggles with self-worth continued.

Our business later went into bankruptcy and our beautiful house and property were sold to pay the bank. Then, just as we were starting to crawl back financially, my wonderful husband suddenly died from a coronary artery thrombosis. I moved to Perth to recover.

Desperate for affection again, I turned to the internet to fulfil my relational hunger, joining several ‘Christian’ dating sites. To my horror, not many men on these sites were godly and certainly none compared with my husband. I even travelled to England to meet one of them.

I returned to Perth heartbroken from this trip, with little left mentally, emotionally or spiritually. But it was here that my life took an amazing turn.

I asked the prayer ministry team at my church to pray for me. They felt I needed more than they could offer and so referred me to the Ellel healing ministry in Northam, Western Australia. There I attend a weekend seminar on the Father Heart of God with Ken Symington.

Over the course of the weekend I began to realise just how broken and hurt I had been. I started to understand where my hurt and disappointment had come from—from emotionally and physically absent parents—and how satan has used that to disrupt my life. I began to truly understand that I am not condemned—by God or even the people I thought I needed to impress—and I began to forgive all who I felt had failed me in my life and upbringing.

This was the start of a brand new life for me. It was as if I had clambered up onto my Father’s lap, cuddled into Him, and knew—truly knew—that my heavenly Father loved me, no matter what. He really, really loved me. I didn’t need to be or do anything more.

My story is a painful one, yet God has brought good things out of it. I wonder if I would ever have turned to God for help if my life had been easier. I have a heart for those messed up from sexual abuse, especially children caught in sex trafficking, and have empathy for those who get caught up in illicit relationships. The role of a father in a family is so important.

The following scriptures played an important part in my healing:

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope… If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

If you resonate with my story, seek this healing that God offers. Don’t just wait for it to happen—search for it. Contact a well-established healing centre such as Elijah House or Ellel Ministries. But more than anything else, seek a deeper relationship with the One who heals. I am continually amazed at God’s never-ending grace and mercy.

***

If you need to talk to someone after reading Jenny’s story:

UK: Premier Lifeline 08456 52 52 52
AU: Salvos Care Line 1300 36 36 22
US: New Hope 714 639-4673

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Question: Do you have a story of brokenness and healing? Share it now (anonymous replies welcome)

Readable (27/4)

Sheridan Voysey — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:33:00 +0000

This week’s interesting links and articles:

The Hunger Games: A Mirror to the World (Martin Saunders, ChristianityMagazine.co.uk): “The Hunger Games is the most important narrative of this kind in recent years. If the film-makers continue to project the books’ heart onto the screen, a primarily teenage, Western audience will be forced to consider: what kind of world do I want to live in?”

Beliefs About God Across Countries (HuffingtonPost.com): “The report found that in 2008, Russia, Latvia and Slovenia showed the highest increase in belief in God, and the Netherlands, Spain and Australia showed the largest decrease. Belief in God has increased in 12 countries, while belief in God has decreased in 17 countries.”

A History of Darkness (LeadershipJournal.com): “Whether in the pillar of fire, the still small voice, or the incarnate Son, God has been Emmanuel: “God with us.” For a committed Christian, then, nothing is more devastating than divine absence, the experience of our prayers hitting a ceiling of brass. But such struggles can yield unexpected blessings.”

The New Conversion: Why We ‘Become Christians’ Differently Today (ChristianityToday.com): “Evangelical Christians are deeply concerned for those who have yet to experience conversion to Christ Jesus. And yet, evangelicals have always recognized that more is involved than questions that might be asked ‘in heaven’.”

How Silicon Valley Turns Obsessive Compulsive Traits into Cash (Damien Thompson, TheFix-Book.com): “How does tech addiction work? Part of the answer involves obsessive-compulsive traits. Most of us have them. And tech entrepreneurs are making the most of these kinks, even if they won’t admit it.”

The Gift of Service (Tim Keller, KellerQuotes.com): “Don’t think you know your real gifts and capacities until you do a lot of humble serving in many different capacities. Only as you do that will you come to understand your own aptitudes.”

And in case you missed it:

The Chuck Colson Interview (SheridanVoysey.com): “Former Nixon aid, prisoner reformer, and evangelical statesman Charles Colson has died. In this interview, one of the last conducted with him, Chuck and I discuss his part in the Nixon Watergate affair, the emotional events leading to his discovery of faith, and how the Christian worldview makes sense of life.”

***

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The Chuck Colson Interview: Watergate & Worldview

Sheridan Voysey — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:48:13 +0000

Update: Charles Colson has died. He passed away on Saturday 21 April 2012 from complications resulting from a brain hemorrhage. I recorded this interview with Chuck in August 2010, making it one of the last interviews he conducted. The world has lost a remarkable man.

***

Over the years I have had the privilege of interviewing a number of people who have influenced me personally. Charles Colson is one of them.

Gaoled in relation to the Watergate scandal of 1974 that brought down US President Richard Nixon, Chuck went on champion prison reform and is today an astute thinker on the Christian worldview through his books and influential Break Point comentaries.

As Special Counsel for US President Richard Nixon between 1969 and 73, Chuck Colson was known as Nixon’s ‘hatchet man’—a hard-headed political player adept at getting party politics through. He was the first person gaoled in relation to the Watergate affair, but his life changed just before entering prison with a personal discovery of Christian faith. What he experienced behind bars led him to found Prison Fellowship International—the largest outreach to convicts, victims of crime and justice officers in the world.

This interview was a long time coming. Years in fact. Colson is a busy man. But then the moment came. In this Open House conversation, Chuck and I discuss:

His role in the Watergat scandal
If he really was as ‘ruthless’ as some have described him
The emotional events leading up to his discovery of Christianity and how it changed his life
How the Christian world view best makes sense of the world

It’s all brilliant stuff – an interview that was well worth the wait.

Colson’s many books include Born Again, The Good Life, Being the Body and the remarkable How Now Shall We Live?

Download the interview here or listen below.

***

Q: Have you been touched by Charles Colson’s work? Read his books? Been involved in Prison Fellowship’s outreach to inmates and their families? Tell me now.

Readable (20/4)

Sheridan Voysey — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:36:33 +0000

This week’s interesting links and articles:

Faith in the infallibility of the mind is the atheist’s delusion (Simon Smart, publicchristianity.org): ”There remain formidable challenges for the enthusiasts of non-belief. Renowned American philosopher Alvin Plantinga’s most famous, novel and ironic argument is that naturalism cannot rationally be believed.”

Manchester Passion (BBC3): A little late, I know, but is it ever too late to remember Easter? This is a live re-telling of the passion story told through the legendary music of Manchester, including Joy Division, The Stone Roses, New Order, Oasis, Morrissey, The Happy Mondays & The Smiths. Surprisingly good.

National (UK) Consultation on Fostering, Adoption and the Church (Kirsh Kandiah, krisk.com): “There is a pressing need in the UK for more foster and adoptive parents. There is a crisis in recruitment and retainment of foster and adoptive placements. The church is uniquely placed to offer its help to meet both of these needs.”

How to raise the odds that it’s going to be a fantastic day (Adrian Savage, Lifehack.org): ”The way that you start the day nearly always sets the tone for the rest of it. If you begin in a rush, feeling frazzled and harassed, it’s very likely that the rest of the day will go the same way—or worse. It’s worth a little planning and care to start each day well.”

For some fun:

Icon of the Month: Lycra (ThirdWayMagazine.co.uk): “Lycra is your best friend, hiding your lumps and bumps, and your worst enemy, making you feel exposed. As with all enemies, Christians are advised to turn the other cheek – the great thing about wearing Lycra is you have got the full four cheeks to choose from.”

John Cleese on the 5 Elements of Creativity (YouTube): A humourous and insightful exploration of creativity from a most creative individual.

And in case you missed them:

Rethink Your Thinking on Suffering (SheridanVoysey.com): “We take pills to ease it, hold prayer meetings to heal it, develop strategies to avoid it and do research to remedy it. But could some suffering be part of God’s purpose for our lives?”

Splendor in the Mundane (Sheridan Voysey, OurDailyJourney.org): “There is a place for mountaintop spirituality. Praise God for it! But in the valley, in the mundane, we can experience a special splendor too.”

***

Question: What great reads did you stumble upon this week? Tell me below.

***

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Rethink Your Thinking on Suffering

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:12:26 +0000

Picture: White Ribbons

Pain: we take pills to ease it, hold prayer meetings to heal it, develop strategies to avoid it and do research to remedy it. We think up philosophies to explain it and theologies to understand God’s role in it. We may even doubt the existence of God because of it. But there is one take on pain that us moderns rarely consider:

That suffering could be part of God’s good purposes for our lives.

I’ve been thinking about this lately, having revisited some of the classic spiritual authors of yesteryear. In them I find an approach to suffering that surpasses my own superficial approach. I stub my toe and wonder why God has forsaken me. But they welcome pain as God’s shaping force for ours and others’ good.

‘How Sweet it is to Suffer with God!’

Take the 17th century monk Brother Lawrence, for example. Lame in one leg and acquainted with illness, the simple, experiential devotional life of this humble monastery cook became an inspiration to many. In The Practise of the Presence of God Brother Lawrence’s advice to an ailing friend includes this:

I do not pray that you may be delivered from your pains, but I pray God earnestly that He would give you strength and patience to bear them as long as he pleases…

I wish you could convince yourself that God is often (in some sense) nearer to us, and more effectually present with us, in sickness than in health…

He often sends diseases of the body to cure those of the soul…

I have been often near expiring, but I never was so much satisfied as then. Accordingly, I did not pray for any relief, but I prayed for strength to suffer with courage, humility and love. Ah, how sweet it is to suffer with God!

Brother Lawrence discovered a strength that could re-cast pain as something good. ‘Such prayers,’ he admitted, ‘are a little hard to nature, but most acceptable to God and sweet to those who love Him… I beseech you; comfort yourself with Him, who is the only Physician for our maladies.’

‘The Heart is Stretched Through Suffering’

It is telling that Thomas Kelly’s spiritual classic A Testament of Devotion was written after a season of illness and emotional exhaustion. A once driven philosopher, after his suffering he could write:

There is a lusty, adolescent way of thought among us which oversimplifies the question of suffering. It merely says, ‘Let us remove it’.

Some suffering, Kelly goes on to say, can be removed. But much of it can’t. And so we must face it squarely:

For if you will accept as normal life only what you can understand, then you will try only to expel the… inevitable suffering which is a part of normal life, and never come to terms with it or fit your soul to the collar and bear the burden of your suffering which must be borne by you, or enter into the divine education and drastic discipline of sorrow, or rise radiant in the sacrament of pain.

What is this ‘divine education’ or ‘sacrament’ that pain offers? ‘The heart is stretched through suffering, and enlarged,‘ he says. Our hearts are enlarged to feel the world’s need, to be burdened by it, and to respond to it as God (who is burdened by such suffering too) directs.

‘God’s Best Tool’

Or let me give a contemporary example.

In 1967 a diving accident left Joni Earekson Tada a quadriplegic. She subsequently went on a quest for healing—visiting faith healers, being anointed by oil, confessing her sins and following every scriptural injunction for a miracle. ‘I was calling my friends on the telephone and explaining to them that the next time they saw me they’d see me on my feet,’ she told me in an interview, published in Open House Volume 1. ‘I really was way out there on a limb with my confidence that Christ would heal me.

But he didn’t. And as a result, one of the most remarkable ministries to the disabled in history was born. Joni’s words have the spirit of yesteryear’s saints:

Christians sometimes want to erase suffering out of the dictionary. If you read the Bible you will see that it is often God’s best tool to make us more like Jesus. The choice is simply ours to yield to it and to allow him to use that suffering rather than complaining, avoiding it, escaping it, divorcing it—we’ve got all kinds of solutions for suffering except to embrace it as God’s will for our life. But when we do, what a difference his grace makes.

Embracing, Rather than Fighting, Suffering

I believe in divine healing. (In Unseen Footprints I tell the story of a man I know who was miraculously healed of AIDS.) I believe God is leading us to a future where there will be no more suffering or pain, and I believe we are to pray for ourselves and others when sick. Clearly, pain and suffering was never part of God’s original plan for us.

But I also believe that my approach to suffering today is often shaped more by my therapeutic culture than by the upside-down logic of God’s ways. Silly really. Because when I look back at my own life I can see that my greatest growth in character and empathy for others, and my greatest discoveries about the nature of God, have come after a season of significant pain.

Pain can lead us to God.

Painful wilderness experiences can make us more like Jesus.

So, will we embrace suffering as God’s best tool to change us, let Him enlarge our hearts through it, and pray like Brother Lawrence that God’s sweet purposes would be accomplished in our seasons of suffering?

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Question: What do you believe about God and suffering? Tell me now.

Readable (13/4)

Sheridan Voysey — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:20:37 +0000

This week’s interesting links and articles:

Can faith save people from a life of alcoholism or depression? (Oliver James, Guardian.co.uk): “Of course, no researchers have ever posited the most obvious explanation for the better mental health and cleaner living of the religious: that there is a God.” (Oliver James is an agnostic.)

Why Am I Not Happy? (Salon.com): “I have everything I ever really thought I wanted — a great job, a wonderful relationship, great friends, financial security, a beautiful house, a place in the community. But I’m not happy.” (My response: The Meaning of Life: A 5th Option)

A Purpose-Driven Cosmos (Russell Moore, ChristianityToday.com): “In a truly Christian vision of the kingdom of God, Jesus of Nazareth isn’t a hoop we jump through to extend our lives into eternity. Jesus is the kingdom of God in person. He is the meaning of life, the goal of history, and the pattern of the future.”

What Good Grief Looks Like When a Daughter Dies (Ben Witherington, ChristianityToday.com): “The phone rang late Wednesday night, January 11, 2012. It was Christy’s boyfriend. He was barely intelligible because he was crying so much. The words he spoke were, ‘Christy is gone. She was found dead in the house. Christy has passed away.’”

And in case you missed them:

Monday to Friday (Sheridan Voysey, OurDailyJourney.org): “Fishing, cooking, architecture, engineering, mathematics, biology, art, business and parenting—Jesus is Lord of them all. Whatever your calling in life, he is your ultimate authority.”

Unseen Footprints Audiobook (SheridanVoysey.com): “After months in production, I’m excited to announce the release of the new Unseen Footprints audiobook! An unabridged reading of the new edition book in all its glory.” (FREE Chapter and $5 discount)

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Question: What great reads did you stumble upon this week? Tell me below.

***

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An Easter Parable

Sheridan Voysey — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:09:23 +0000

Picture: Fabbriciuse

Update: An audio version of this parable is now available. See below.

Imagine for a moment that you’re a member of an organised crime ring with connections to corrupt city authorities. Imagine that you discover someone who knows your gang’s every deed—every scheme, every secret, every deal, all the money trails. One night you decide to round him up. He has to be silenced.

Your thugs bring him to you. ‘Is it true,’ you ask the man, ‘that you know of my business dealings?’ He stays silent. One of your thugs steps forward. He slaps your suspect across the face and yells, ‘Is it true!?’ The man looks you in the eye and nods.

Your inner circle deliberate and options for the man’s removal are discussed. A crowbar to the head out in the woods? A sniper’s shot when he least expects it? ‘I know what will work,’ you say. You pick up your Blackberry and start dialling. The city mayor always takes your call.

A news conference is held the next morning. As journalists gather and cameras roll, the mayor rises to the podium. ‘We have intercepted a terrorist plot to blow up Town Hall,’ he says—your victim’s face suddenly flashed across television screens. ‘We expect a fast trial and a most serious sentence.’

The innocent man is held in custody. With a wink and a nod from a compliant superior, a group of otherwise bored cops there take to him. They push him into a back room and start beating and spitting on him. They force him onto all fours and kick him up the backside. They put lipstick on his face and pour beer down the front of his jeans. They wrench an old judges wig on his head and with hoots of laughter shout, ‘Have mercy on us, oh Judge! Forgive us for our terrible crimes!’

The holder of your secrets is quickly tried, as the city’s mayor promised. He is declared guilty and jailed soon after in a maximum security compound. And there, after another call from your Blackberry, and another nod from a prison guard in the know, your incarcerated cronies go to work.

They enter your victim’s cell as he cowers in the corner. They push him against the wall then throw him to the floor. ‘Nice shirt,’ one of them says. ‘I’m getting his jeans,’ says another. They strip him naked.

Rolling him onto his stomach they stretch him out and lash his feet together with plumber’s tape. They pull his flailing arms behind his back and tape together his wrists. ‘The mouth?’ asks one of them. ‘And the nose,’ comes the reply. Three men hold your victim down as loop upon loop of black tape is wound around his face—starting from the chin, up to the lips, and finally across his nostrils.

Sweat covers his body. His lungs heave for air. His eyelids are swollen. Your cronies slip quietly out of the cell.

The dead body is found three hours later.

Mission complete.

Now imagine that you’re reclining on a lounge in your palatial home a few days later. There’s a knock at your front door. Expecting an associate, you fling the door wide to find that your visitor is not an associate but… him. Tape marks around his ankles. Red lines around his wrists. Eyes still a little swollen. But whole. Breathing. Alive.

‘Could it be true?’ he asks after a moment’s pause, looking you in the eye.

You stay silent.

‘I forgive you,’ he says.

And you heave for breath.

Happy Easter.

***

If you need it:

Hunted and mocked by a mob: Mark 14:53-59
Falsely accused of a terrorist plot: Mark 14:58
Condemned to death by a corrupt ruler: Mark 15:15
Abused: Mark 15:16-20
Clothes divided: John 19:23-24
Killed: Mark 15:22-24
Raised: Mark 16:4
Offers forgiveness: Luke 23:34

***

Update: A revised version of this parable was used in Tom Wright’s #BigRead12 community Bible reading event. Listen to the audio version below, or right-click here to download.

The Meaning of Life? Here’s a 5th Option

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:38:17 +0000

In my previous post on the meaning of life I suggested that western popular culture—through its films, books and stories—offers four main answers to the question of life’s meaning:

Life is about living in harmony with ‘God’
Life is a joke: it has no meaning
Life’s meaning is whatever you make it
The meaning of life is a mystery

Some of these answers have merit. Each provokes further questions. In this post I want to explore a 5th option that potentially fills the holes in the answers above.

***

As my original article on the search for meaning in Christianity magazine makes clear, it is from the Christian perspective that I approach this topic. But what is a distinctly Christian answer to the question of life’s meaning? Is it ‘To worship God’? or ‘To love the Lord your God and love others as you love yourself’? Those are good answers, but how does worshipping God or loving others actually make life meaningful? Such phrases could be read as religious ‘duty’ by some, rather than the secret to fulfilment.

Let me take a step back. Scanning Scripture’s full divine-human drama, I have a conviction that God gives our lives meaning in at least three ways:

First, God invites us into his life

God is an abundant bounty of spiritual life. We were created to have this life inhabiting us, the way God once ‘inhabited’ the Jewish temple (see 1 Corinthians 6:19). But with humankind’s original rebellion, we severed this source of life. The temple of our souls has now lost its God, leaving a vacant space at the centre of our hearts. The New Testament uses two Greek words for ‘life’: bios, meaning natural created life, and zoé, meaning God’s eternal supernatural life. We can have bios but not zoé. We can be biologically alive but spiritually dead.

But then a man came forth from Galilee. ‘In him was zoé,’ it was said of him. ‘I have come that they may have zoé,’ he said of himself. He promised to bring the Father to dwell within us. Jesus came to bring the indwelling God back into the temple of our hearts.

And with God’s eternal, supernatural life within us, the ordinary can become splendorous. That’s what the 17th-century monk Brother Lawrence discovered, as described in his spiritual classic Practice of the Presence of God. That’s what I discovered when I came to faith, having searched for life elsewhere.

Second, God invites us into his story

This story begins with a God who creates a good world teeming with creatures, flowers and light, with his image-bearing humans as his co-workers. It continues with a great rebellion unleashing evil, pain, frustration and disorder into the world. A recovery mission is launched, God calling the nation of Israel to be his light to the world, a mission which climaxes in God visiting earth himself, accepting our taunts, ridicule and crucifixion, then rising from death to offer forgiveness of sins and restoration of life. The story ends with this restoration complete—in a new world of fulfilled longings, healed wounds, radiant beauty and restored harmony (see Isaiah 35; 65:17–25; Revelation 21–22).

This story gives us context, and context gives us meaning. The order and beauty of the world make sense within this story, as does our longing for love and our desire to find a meaningful role in life. They are part of God’s creational design. The horrors of war, famine, greed and corruption are given some context. They are intruders and never meant to be here. Our deep desire to see wrongs righted and evil cease makes sense—and is graced with hope. This world is not as it should be, but one day will be under God’s restorative work through Jesus.

Third, God invites us into his activity

God is on the move, pushing this story towards its conclusion—inviting people into his life, transforming them and, through them, society. We then become God’s ‘apprentices in eternal living’ as Dallas Willard puts it—learning to be responsive to God as he works in us ‘to will and to act according to his good purpose’.

God gives us a special part to play within his unfolding story—a role, a calling, a mission, an assignment. His life within us provides power for such tasks; his spiritual gifts give us ability. Through us he speaks, heals, comforts, reconciles, encourages, leads, teaches. Through us he feeds, clothes, plants, warns, forgives, protests, loves. It is an awesome thing to participate in God’s work. Could a finer way to meaning and purpose exist?

The 5th Option

So with this in mind, let me suggest a revised answer to life’s ultimate question: The meaning of life is to live with God—a God who invites us into his life, his story and his activity. This option answers some of the questions raised of the other four options:

1. Life is about living in harmony with ‘God’

Which God? A personal God who cares about our well-being.
Does this God make any sense of suffering? Yes. Suffering is an intruder, will one day be eradicated, and can now be healed by God or redeemed into something good.
How does one live in harmony with this deity? Through surrender.

2. Life is a joke: it has no meaning

Why do we long for meaning so much / Why do happiness studies all seem to say the same thing? Because we were built to be in relationship, to contribute to the world, to serve others in love, and live a spiritually fulfilled life with God and others.

3. Life’s meaning is whatever you make it

What if I lost my job, partner, family, health? You would still be God’s child, safe in his hands. Your present would still have hope because your future would be secure. A new you awaits.

4. The meaning of life is a mystery

Life is too big to fully comprehend it, but perhaps our essential reason for living isn’t as mysterious as once thought.

***

The meaning of life is to live with God—a God who invites us into his life (in an intimate, responsive relationship), his story (which gives us context and hope) and his activity (a personalised mission to serve others in love).

Question: How does this answer fit for you? What needs further clarification? Tell me now

The Meaning of Life? Here are 4 Options

Sheridan Voysey — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:27:02 +0000

Each month around 550,000 of us search the phrase ‘meaning of life’ on Google. And we’re not all looking for the Monty Python film. Does life have any meaning? Does my life have any meaning? All of us at some stage ponder such questions.

I’ve written an article on our search for meaning for Christianity Magazine this month. (The full text is available online for a limited time. Go get it!) In it I suggest that our culture offers four main answers to the question of life’s meaning, as reflected in our stories and films. Here are some clips to illustrate.

1. Life is About Living in Harmony with ‘God’

This is the broadly religious answer—so broad in fact it can be uttered by priest, imam and New Age guru alike. This answer doesn’t get the cultural attention it once did, as in films like Ordet or The Ten Commandments, but it does still surface.

Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life heads in this direction, with its subtle encouragement to look for divine grace in the midst of life’s pain. Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men reflects this answer from a broadly Christian perspective, God Lives in the Himalyas from a Hindu angle, and What The Bleep Do We Know and The Secret in a New Age/new spirituality sense. And in one of the most blatant portrayals of this answer in recent years, we find Bruce Nolan bending the knee then coming to some conclusions about what life is all about:

If we come to the conclusion that life is about living in harmony with God, we’ll soon need to ask some further questions:

Which God? The ‘impersonal energy’ of The Secret or the personal being implied by Bruce Almighty?
Does this God make any sense of suffering?
How does one live in harmony with this deity?

2. Life is a Joke. It Has No Meaning

Following the nihilistic philosophers of the 19th and 20th centuries, this answer sees no divine being to live in harmony with and no inherent meaning to the universe or our lives. Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in theatre, the Dada movement in art, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy in fiction, punk in music, and even Seinfeld in TV (which was, after all, a show about ‘nothing’) reflect this answer.

As does Charlie Kaufman’s dark film Synecdoche, New York. In it theatre director Caden Cotard creates a real-time stage play re-enacting his everyday life in the hope of discovering its meaning. In this final scene, an old and ill Caden reviews the now defunct set of his life while a mysterious stage director speaks to him through an ear piece:

This answer also leads to more questions. If life has no meaning:

Why do we long for meaning so much?
Why do happiness studies all seem to say the same thing—that we need good relationships, some goals, to serve others, and find spirituality to enjoy life? Don’t such studies suggest that there is some meaning in life to be found?

3. Life’s Meaning is Whatever You Make it

This is perhaps our most popular answer to the meaning of life today. As the T-shirt reads, ‘The meaning of life is to make life meaningful’. If life has no meaning in itself then meaning has to be made, and having dreams, setting goals, pursuing relationships, serving others and actualising our potentialities are the activities most often suggested to achieve it.

This answer is the underlying belief of a thousand self-help books, hundreds of hit songs, and the basic teaching of most personal development courses. It is often the essence of those sappy YouTube clips about ‘life’ you find posted on Facebook. Like this one:

There is much truth to this answer as meaning can be found in so many of these things. But I have spoken to plenty of people who’ve had all they wanted yet still lacked meaning. So, a further question to ask is:

What if (God forbid) I lost the dream job, my partner or my family? What if I lost my health and couldn’t create or serve? What meaning would be left?

4. The Meaning of Life is a Mystery

For some, the answers are simply beyond our reach. Popular culture reflects this often. Homer Simpson once asked God what the meaning of life was. As God started to reply the credits rolled and the show ended! Yann Martel’s Man-Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi is an extended exploration of life’s meaning but leaves the reader with more questions than answers.

In David Russell’s film I Heart Huckabees, Albert and Tommy employ ‘existential detectives’ to help them discover the meaning of their lives. Tommy is most confused about it!

While I Heart Huckabees ends a little less chaotically than it begins, the best Albert and Tommy can conclude is that there might be some ‘magic in the manure’ of life to be found. Life’s meaning ultimately remains a mystery.

Over to You

If you’ve read the Christianity article you’ll know where I head next. I’ll expand that further in Part 2 of this series. But right now, here’s an exercise and some questions for you:

Finish this sentence in your own words: The meaning of life is…
Which answer above best describes your understanding of life’s meaning?
Have you ever moved from one answer to another?
Have I missed anything? Tell me now

Unseen Footprints Audiobook

Sheridan Voysey — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:22:30 +0000

After months in production, I’m excited to announce the release of the new Unseen Footprints audiobook! An unabridged reading of the new edition book in all its glory.

Recorded in pristine quality
Includes the guided reflection exercises found in the new edition book
Listen to Unseen Footprints as you travel to work, walk, jog, visit the gym
Immediate MP3 download (3 hours 48 minutes)
A special introductory price!

Listen to the Introduction and a reflection exercise on becoming attentive to God.

Download Now!

Get your copy of the Unseen Footprints Audiobook immediately! Here’s how:

After clicking the ‘Add to Cart’ button on the left and completing the purchase you will be emailed a receipt with a download link. Click this link and open the download page.
On the download page click ‘Download’. Your files will start downloading as a .zip file to your computer or device. (This is a 300MB file and may take a while to complete.)
Click the ‘Unseen Footprints Audiobook by Sheridan Voysey.zip’ file on your computer or device. This will present you with your files, ready to play. You can now transfer them to your MP3 player, tablet or other device.

Download from Other Retailers

Buy from christianaudio.com

Buy from Audible US (coming soon)

Buy from Audible UK (coming soon)

Buy from iTunes (coming soon)

About the Book

Unseen Footprints is more than an award-winning book—it’s a journey about opening our spiritual eyes to see the activities of God around us.

Learn more by visiting the Unseen Footprints book page!

Trade Details

Title: Unseen Footprints (Unabridged MP3 Audiobook)
Subtitle: Encountering the Divine Along the Journey of Life
Author: Sheridan Voysey
Read by: Sheridan Voysey
Publisher: The Thought Factory
MP3 Download: 3 hours, 48 minutes

Related Resources

Unseen Footprints: The new edition book in paperback.

Unseen Footprints E-Book: The new edition book in Kindle, Kobo and ePub formats.

5-Copy Saver Pack: Buy 4 copies and the 5th comes FREE! Ideal for reading groups, small group study use, or for giving Unseen Footprints as a gift to family and friends.

UK/US Edition: For customers in the UK, Europe, US and Canada.

The Rowan Williams vs Richard Dawkins Debate

Sheridan Voysey — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:10:58 +0000

After coming down with a flu last week I enjoyed using my convalescent status as an excuse to catch up on some viewing. First on my list was This is Spinal Tap (yes, I confess, this is the first time I’ve watched the now classic piece of rock-mockumentary. It deserves its place among the greats!). My second choice was the Rowan Williams vs Richard Dawkins debate on Human Origins held in Oxford on 23rd February. Tickets to the event had sold out in hours so I was glad that a kind soul had uploaded the interchange to YouTube.

Dawkins and Williams (Reuters/Andrew Winning)

As has been noted elsewhere, this was a decidedly genteel affair. You’d hardly expect ranting and raving from the mild-mannered Archbishop of Canterbury, and Richard Dawkins restrained his signature wrath on believers. The debate was moderated by former Catholic priest and now agnostic philosopher Anthony Kenny.

The full video is posted above. Here are some reflections I had as I watched. I’ve included time-references if you’d like to skip ahead.

Introductory Remarks

00:15 The ‘common ground’ for the debate was that all three participants believed a) that there is such a thing as objective truth b) in logic c) in science. This was a good reminder for me that the postmodern mantra of all truth being relative or some kind of social construct for exerting power is only one part of the ‘modern’ story today.

The Nature of Human Beings

00:17 Williams looks at human consciousness, questioning the Darwinian account of origins as a complete answer to it. Dawkins’ admits the mystery surrounding consciousness but his false accusation that Williams is using a God-of-the-gaps -type argument to answer it is interesting given his own belief that science will one day solve the mystery.
00:20 Williams’ focus on self-consciousness (or meta-cognition) was valuable: we can think, tell stories, ask questions and joke about ourselves – all self-reflexive exercises which can’t be said of the animal kingdom, making us unique.
00:25 Williams rightly questions Dawkins’ belief that consciousness is an illusion. If consciousness is an illusion, what isn’t an illusion? Following this logically, all we see and experience is therefore untrustworthy. To call consciousness a ‘mistake’ is similarly problematic, requiring a standard outside of us to determine what is a mistake versus something being ‘correct’.
00:26 Kenny questions Dawkins’ likening the mind to a computer. ‘Computers are human tools. They can’t even add two and two together [without us programming them]‘. A dense discussion on free will versus determinism follows but is significant. Dawkins likens humans to computers, but do computers have free will? Both Williams and Kenny push Dawkins on this and he admits, in effect, that his illustrations are too simplistic to account for life’s more complex decisions, like deciding who to marry (00:32).
00:36 Is the survival of the ‘soul’ after death a matter of faith? Williams suggests so, breaking with the classical philosophers who believed in the soul’s innate immortality.
00:37 An audience question: Can human scientific knowledge be wholly explained by biological evolution? After some clarification, Dawkins answers yes. Williams notes that Dawkins’ answer assumes the brain has greater qualities than just the material.

Origins of Humanity

00:40 A question to Williams: assuming the first humans had non-human ancestors (which Williams assumes) did God intervene in the transition? Williams has a problem with God ‘tinkering with the machine’, suggesting that from the beginning humans would come to a point of recognising God’s ‘call’ to them. The follow up questions from Dawkins highlight the challenges of theistic evolutionary understanding: namely, when was there a ‘first human’ if there were incremental changes between the species?
00:49 Audience question: humans are immensely imperfect with many of their potentialities left unrealised. Are these failures of evolution or design? Dawkins says that death, distress and ‘design’ faults are part of the evolutionary process and just part of our lot. Williams answers that the universe being intelligible, its successfully hanging together and that its processes converge to certain ends all suggest to him that an intelligent God is involved, but he’s cautious about seeing God involved at the micro-level of creation as why would God create individual abnormalities?

Origins of Life

00:58 Dawkins: Life came into being by sheer luck. Kenny challenges Dawkins’ reliance on the origin of life being a highly ‘improbable’ event.
01:08 Audience question for Williams: given that the universe is now understood to be billions of years old, wouldn’t it have been better for the Biblical writers to have said nothing about the origins of life? Williams: the Biblical writers were inspired not to do 20th century physics, but to tell people what God wanted them to know. Genesis therefore says that the universe depends on God, humanity has a distinctive role in the world, and humanity has made a mess of it. To Dawkins’s question of why he tries to reinterpret the story of a ‘non-existent’ Adam and Eve rather than stick with 21st century science Williams replies, ’If I want to answer 21st century scientific questions I use 21st century science. If I want to understand my moral and spiritual place in the world, I reserve the right to read Genesis.’
01:11 Kenny asks Dawkins about his disproof of God. Dawkins denies that he’s disproved the existence of God, but says that on a scale of 1 to 7 (7 being that there is no God) he’s a 6.9 and briefly explains why.
01:20 Kenny raises a good question to Dawkins about his belief in the Multiverse theory (that our universe is one of many, ours being the one that just happened to become amenable to human life): that’s just as much a metaphysical theory as Intelligent Design. If ID can’t be taught in schools, why should the Multiverse theory? Dawkins’ answer doesn’t strike me as very convincing.

It was nice to watch a debate where respect for the opponent was practiced. From a Christian viewpoint, what you make of the debate will depend on your position on creation, evolution and intelligent design theories; from an atheistic viewpoint, I’d imagine to the degree you consider Richard Dawkins a representative of atheism.

For Further Reflection

Books

Alister McGrath: A Fine-Tuned Universe

John Lennox: God’s Undertaker

Thomas Fowler and Daniel Kuebler: The Evolution Controversy

Online

Alister McGrath: Overcoming the Faith and Science Divide

NT Wright: Adam and Eve and the Culture Wars

John Piper: Old or Young Earth in Genesis

Tom Frame: Theistic Evolution (Part 1 of a series on Darwin’s legacy)

Carl Wieland: Creationism (Part 2 of a series on Darwin’s legacy)

Alvin Plantiga: an Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism

Michael Behe: Irreducible Complexity

***

Question: What did you make of the debate? What other science/faith resources can you recommend? Share your comment now.

An Interview with Marilynne Robinson

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:18:08 +0000

Some fiction writers manage to produce a book every year or two. In Marilynne Robinson’s case, three decades of writing has produced just three.

Robinson’s first novel, Housekeeping, was released in 1980. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and winning the PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Novel, its tale of Ruth and Lucille in the fictional town of Fingerbone, Idaho, has been hailed a classic.

The second novel, Gilead, came a staggering 24-years later. Recounting the memories of a dying Reverend to his seven year old son, it went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

The third novel, Home, took the risky step of retelling the story of Gilead through the eyes of another family in town. It won Britain’s prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction in 2009.

Even adding her three non-fiction books plus her essays and reviews to the list, Robinson’s output is hardly breathtaking. Prolific she is not… and perhaps that is why each one of her novels is a masterpiece.

In the Interview

Marilynne Robinson doesn’t believe in sequels and never uses an idea she knows the origin of. In this Open House interview, we explore other aspects of her writing life:

How she discovered her ‘voice’ as a writer
Why she wrote Housekeeping in the dark and why she writes all her fiction in long-hand first
The reason behind the 24-year wait for her second novel
How her characters take on a life of their own
Her Christian faith and the influence of sixteenth-century theologian John Calvin on her writing

A Virtual Writer’s Masterclass

In the last few moments of the interview I ask Marilynne to complete the following sentences to give us even more writing tips:

The technique I wish I’d discovered earlier is…
My best creative insights come when I…
I come up with my best metaphors when I…
When I write, I always…
When I write, I never…
I know a book is finished when…
The finest advice I can give to a young writer is…

All this adds up to a conversation that is a must-listen if you enjoy Robinson’s work or aspire to write well.

As one reviewer put it: ‘I’m not saying that you’re actually dead if you haven’t read Marilynne Robinson, but I honestly couldn’t say you’re fully alive.’ It was privilege to spend some time with this world-class wordsmith.

***

Question: What is your favourite Marilynne Robinson book? If you’re a writer, what advice can you give to others? Share your comment now.

***

Listen to the interview below, or right click here and ‘save target’ to download. The full transcript is also available in Open House Volume 3