Stories From Edge [Paperback]

First, if you're considering buying this book, you may already count yourself among Greg's thousands of friends. Through a prolific series of books, Greg has been inviting readers to join him in his journey into a deep faith and, now, into the ordained ministry, as well. He is a gifted writer with wide-ranging interests. I first discovered Greg's work as this eclectic Professor of English at Baylor University was exploring the challenging spiritual themes in comic books ("Holy Superheroes! Revised and Expanded Edition: Exploring the Sacred in Comics, Graphic Novels, and Film") and movies ("The Gospel according to Hollywood").

One of the powerful facets in spiritually themed writing is that, ultimately: "It's about the Voice, not the book." And Greg is proof of this principle. You may enjoy his individual books, but it's his Voice, over time, that becomes a powerful, complex affirmation of faith in the midst of daily living.

That's a perfect way to introduce this book and explain its significance. In this book, Greg writes about "the summer of 2006 when I was a seminarian working full time as a chaplain intern at ... a regional trauma center located in my hometown of Austin, Texas." He was on call at other local hospitals, too.

Given everything else that Greg glimpses in the sprawling cosmos of spiritual reflection -- in this book he takes us to the very "edge" of life, where people are suffering and where people are making ultimate decisions about the purpose of their lives.

The one sentence that best captures the feel of this book is actually a line from F. Scott Fitzgerald that Greg offers on his opening page: "Draw your chair up close to the edge of the precipice and I'll tell you a story."

I'm a lifelong reader of Frederick Buechner and I sense Buechner's voice echoing in Greg's writing as he warms toward his own vocation in each new book in recent years. If you're a Buechner reader, you can hear the echo in Greg's choice of Fitzgerald's line. And, if you're drawn toward the theme of this new book by Greg, I can guarantee you'll also enjoy reading Buechner's latest, "The Yellow Leaves: A Miscellany."

Greg writes this book as a serious reflection. It reads like one pilgrim's personal dialogue with the writings of Rabbi Harold Kushner, Thomas Merton, Barbara Brown Taylor and many others -- as he discovers the many ways their voices connect with the real-life experiences he is encountering in hospital rooms. He's spinning personal stories for us, but he's also inviting into the circle this chorus of wise voices -- to try to draw out of the circle a useful consensus of wisdom.

There's potent fuel for the spiritual road in this book. You can read it alone. You can discuss it with a small group. But it's also like sitting in a chapel with this creative pilgrim from Texas and having him inspire and challenge you with his latest spiritual adventures.

This small book is another example of Greg Garrett's gift for understanding and empathizing with people and for commuicating that understanding in a way that is helpful. These amazing stories of people in the hard times of life, bring one closer to God and to God's people. This book is a gift of love.

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