Gilbert R. Friend-jones

When Easter Interrupts: Reflections on the Meanings of Lent and Easter Gilbert R. Friend-jones 1st edition

"Easter provides the basis for us to make a bold assertion of hope when there is no reason to hope. Religion provides us with the purpose for living when life itself is painful. Faith enables us to give up what we desire most desperately, trusting that God already knows and provides for our deepest and truest needs." Moving easily between history, theology and personal experience, the author brings a compassionate outlook, an unconventional spirituality and a gentle sense of humor to his reflections on Lent and Easter. These sermons begin where pain and hope intermingle, and myth and history intersect. Friend-Jones connects the dots between Lenten and Easter narratives and crises faced by ordinary people. He moves between ancient landscapes, Biblical texts and modern sensibilities. Calling Easter "the central koan of Christian spirituality," he situates the primary Christian affirmations of life, hope and joy within a world confounded by urban violence, terror, divorce, cancer, political oppression and more.