Availability

The main influences on this thoughtful book are Thomas Merton and Henri Noewen. To be available is to be present to oneself, others and God; also to live life in a prayerful fashion in the presence of God. The first part considers the themes of uniqueness, failure and forgiveness, self-awareness and clarity, all of which are related and underpinned by critical self questioning. For others, we can become a caring presence, and for the author it is important this be based firmly in Christianity. There are questions for reflection at the end of each chapter and a selection from Scripture. Prayer can also help develop the necessary self-awareness and compassion. I was struck by a passage from Jean-Pierre Dubois Dumee about the need for an interior life - for silence in the midst of noise, contemplation in a century of action, peace among outbursts of violence, quality to counterbalance quantity, slowness to compensate for speed, and the need for human warmth when everything is being rationalised or computerised. The book is a searching inner examination, a call to live with real spiritual integrity.