The Body Broken
Answering God's Call to Love One Another
Robert Benson
- The
- Body
- Broken
- is
- an
- honest
- and
- moving
- meditation
- on
- the
- Gospel
- imperative
- to
- love
- one
- another
- as
- brothers
- and
- sisters,
- even
- as
- we
- choose
- to
- live
- and
- express
- our
- faith
- in
- differing
- ways.A
- lifelong
- Christian
- and
- seeker,
- Robert
- Benson
- has
- shared
- the
- prayers,
- rituals,
- conversations,
- and
- practices
- of
- many
- different
- denominations.
- His
- broad
- range
- of
- ecumenical
- experiences
- have
- led
- to
- moments
- of
- great
- joy
- and
- deep
- fellowship,
- but
- they
- have
- also
- opened
- his
- eyes
- to
- the
- misunderstanding
- and
- the
- intolerance
- that
- constantly
- threaten
- to
- dismember
- the
- whole
- Body
- of
- Christ.Benson
- writes
- longingly
- about
- the
- things
- of
- the
- faith
- that
- bind
- us
- together
- and
- gracefully
- about
- the
- things
- that
- keep
- us
- apart.
- He
- recounts
- his
- own
- journey
- from
- Nazarene
- to
- Methodist
- to
- Episcopalian
- and
- introduces
- us
- to
- the
- people
- and
- the
- differing
- expressions
- of
- faith
- he
- encountered
- along
- the
- way.
- We
- meet
- ordinary
- folk,
- including
- Benson's
- family
- and
- childhood
- friends,
- as
- well
- as
- legendary
- religious
- thinkers
- as
- Henri
- Nouwen.
- Some
- of
- the
- stories--particularly
- the
- ones
- about
- his
- own
- brother's
- suicide--are
- heartbreakingly
- painful;
- others
- bring
- to
- light
- the
- joy
- and
- grace
- of
- Christian
- love
- as
- found
- in
- acts
- of
- common
- worship
- and
- compassion.
- Although
- Benson
- acknowledges
- that
- there
- are--and
- always
- will
- be--very
- real
- differences
- in
- the
- ways
- that
- Christians
- seek
- to
- live
- out
- their
- faith,
- he
- reminds
- us
- of
- the
- essential
- beliefs
- that
- we
- share
- about
- God
- and
- our
- common
- dependency
- on
- God's
- mysterious
- mercy
- and
- grace,
- even
- as
- we
- look
- for
- God
- as
- through
- a
- glass
- darkly.In
- poetic
- prose
- that
- is
- reminiscent
- of
- the
- writing
- of
- Frederick
- Buechner
- and
- Annie
- Dillard,
- Benson
- illuminates,
- with
- wit
- and
- wisdom
- and
- humility
- and
- passion,
- one
- of
- the
- most
- difficult
- challenges
- that
- face
- the
- Church.
- The
- Body
- Broken
- is
- a
- powerful,
- important
- examination
- of
- the
- intolerance
- and
- divisiveness
- that
- have
- become
- an
- all
- too
- familiar
- part
- of
- the
- Church
- and
- a
- gentle,
- poignant
- call
- for
- a
- Christian
- community
- that
- embraces
- a
- spirit
- of
- love
- and
- unity
- even
- as
- it
- honors
- our differences.
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