The Holy Intimacy of Strangers [Paperback]

Sarah York (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2002

In The Holy Intimacy of Strangers Sarah York explores our common yearning for deeper and more meaningful connection with one another. The book presents the paradox we often observe: how our seemingly casual interactions with strangers can unlock the door to our hearts and help us discover how we need (and yet often resist) true intimacy in our relationships. This provocative book gives us a new way to look at the qualities of our exchanges with strangers. Once we begin this journey we can trace the outlines of our lives together in community-our expressions of caring and hospitality, the costs of prejudice and judgment, our fears and defensiveness, the tension between being inclusive or exclusive, our expectations and assumptions about one another.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In The Holy Intimacy of Strangers author Sarah York awakens readers to the potential for spiritual growth in every chance encounter. Once we recognize strangers as spiritual mirrors, life takes on a new meaning. We discover that a sacred spark can ignite anywhere, at any time--in parks, grocery stores, trains, elevators, checkout lines... the possibilities are endless.

York, an ordained minister, draws upon personal stories--her own as well as those of others--to illustrate the many ways we can better know ourselves (the stranger within), as well as the divine, through encounters with strangers. "The notion of intimacy with strangers poses an intriguing paradox," writes York, "we encounter the familiar in the unfamiliar, the known in the unknown, the self in the other, and the other in the self."

These aren't just stories about the kindness of strangers; some encounters are disarming and even threatening. Although the spiritual messages are rich and well mined, York also ventures into political lessons. When we stop seeing strangers as "the other," and begin to see them as fellow citizens of our global village, we can no longer distance ourselves from humanity's suffering. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly

Unitarian Universalist minister York made a splash with her slender inspirational books Remembering Well and Pilgrim Heart; fans won't be disappointed with this third volume, in which she turns her attention to hospitality. What does it mean to encounter the stranger? In a world that seems increasingly anomic, how can we create intimacy? Stories from York's own life exemplify hospitality she takes a homeless man to a diner for breakfast and finds meaning and closeness in small talk she makes with a man she often sees on her jogging route. (Don't be fooled, though: York, always a personable narrator, doesn't present herself as perfectly virtuous. She also loses her temper in traffic and dislikes waiting in lines.) One especially moving tale is that of Gary Smith, a minister who found himself stranded in a strange town with a toddler and a hospitalized wife. Another minister, whom Smith had never met before, came to the rescue, taking the toddler into his home until Smith's wife had recuperated. Stories like that, York suggests, are not so unusual; most of us can remember a time when we were helped by a stranger. York also offers practical tips: share a meal with friends; think of the Internet not as an atomizing force, but as a place of intimacy where old friends can reconnect; revive that older ethic of neighborliness. Above all, York stresses, hospitality means presence. Readers will find here what they have come to expect from York wisdom, humor and a glimpse of God's love.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (September 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787960470
• ISBN-13: 978-0787960476
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,266,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time well spent reading The Holy Intimacy of Strangers, June 8, 2009

By 

Bobby Newman (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Holy Intimacy of Strangers (Kindle Edition)

Sarah York has given us The Holy Intimacy of Stangers, a book which invites us to examine our views and behavior toward others, and by extension, towards ourselves. York does not sugar-coat things. She describes real emotional reactions, the good, the bad, and the ugly. She encourages us, however, to find our best selves. There is a wealth of quotes and stories within this volume. September 11 is a ubiquitous presence in the book, and the power of reactions to this tragic event ring throughout the volume. The stories of the Lord's Prayer at Ground Zero, and the oft-repeated story of the Muslim who was offered the brotherly hand by the Hasidic Jew are worth the price of the book alone.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and inspiring insights, November 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Holy Intimacy of Strangers (Paperback)

I read Sarah York's previous book, "Pilgrim Heart," and as always the author explores a paradox. Sarah shows how our unconscious interactions with strangers actually have a lot to teach us about how we interact with our family members, coworkers, and best friends. I never would have thought about it, but it's true!

And as usual, Sarah tells a lot of great stories. One of my favorites is about getting stuck in a broken down elevator with a couple of strangers who started driving her totally crazy. It taught her a lot about patience, acceptance, and other issues that were also of concern in relationships with family members.

I highly recommend this! I'm buying a copy for my mom for her birthday.