How Beautiful the World Could Be

Book excerpt: Meditations on ordinary life as part of a larger story “We human beings are creatures of time and space,” writes Frederick Bauerschmidt. “We have no choice but to find ourselves at a particular place in a particular moment.” Fortunately, as Christians, we worship a God who became embodied and lived among us—the timeless Word who became the Word in time. Thus, it is no contradiction for us to expect to find our stories in the larger story of God’s ongoing dealings with the world. This truth is nowhere more evident than in preaching, which, of necessity, speaks to particular occasions. Throughout these thirty-eight homilies, Bauerschmidt finds the truth of Scripture refracted through the lenses of current events from the past decade—including the coronavirus pandemic—as well as the seasons of the liturgical year and momentous individual occasions like baptisms, weddings, and funerals. His advice and examples will help preachers heed Paul’s urging to be on point and persuasive “in season and out of season.” All readers will be joyfully reminded of how beautiful the world is when seen in its larger context, illuminated by the light of eternity.