Customer Reviews

The Holy Intimacy of Strangers

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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.

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.