5 stars
"And so I urge you: carry on an ongoing conversation
with God about the daily stuff of life, a little like Tevye
in Fiddler on the Roof. For now, do not worry about
'proper' praying, just talk to God." —Richard J. Foster
I think most of us would concede that Earth is a strange place and human beings are strange creatures. It stands to reason then that our times here should be likewise. But how do we go about dealing with such pervasive peculiarity and the consequent sense of unfixedness it engenders? Each person must confront that problem in their own way, but solving it is essential if we're to reach any level of peace either within ourselves or as residents of our terrestrial home. For innumerable humans throughout history, the solution has been spiritual.
Strange Prayers for Strange Times is a compendium of unique approaches to one of those solutions: appealing to a Higher Power by means of personal prayers. Mr. Conley does not define the Entity on the receiving end, nor would it be appropriate for him to do so since each of the petitioners whose entreaties are featured no doubt had their own unique understanding of who or what they had turned to for assistance. The particulars are left to a reader's sacred intuition.
I was powerfully affected by this book. In my 'mind's ear', I heard the urgently whispered pleas of kindred souls, grappling for spiritual purchase in a chaotic and often barbarous world. The intense feelings of unity with and empathy for my fellow 'strangelings' that I experienced as I turned the pages will remain in my heart for a long time to come. —Natasha K.
