I meet so many exhausted people. Refugees, trying to learn English, earn a living and solo parent their children, while coming to terms with having fled a war and left family members behind. Foster carers, looking after traumatised children round the clock. Social workers with increasing caseloads. Civil servants reeling from one crisis to another. Pastors who are managing staff, organising community events and caring for congregation members with ever greater needs, on ever limited budgets.
Jesus’ offer to come to him and f ind rest is much needed in our world. However, recent popular books on the subject are often so far removed from the daily pressures we face, they just exacerbate the problem. I struggle to find books that deal theologically and realistically with the rest Jesus offers us, and with the rest Jesus expects us to offer others.
Thankfully the act of reading itself has been proven to help reduce stress and increase empathy. There is a wealth of books that can help us make the time and space we need to connect with God, ourselves and the people around us. Here are five suggestions.
Read deep, long and slow: Prophetic Imagination Walter Brueggemann (Fortress Press, 2001)
Some books can’t be hurried. Reading something slowly and deliberately for relaxation and personal devotion, not necessarily tied to sermon preparation, can be very good for you. This particular tome forces you to breathe deeply as it expands your mind and stimulates your soul.
