Christ at the Coffee Shop

Aristotle believed the great "immovable mover," that many name as deity, is deeply imbedded in all things. My very Catholic grandmother is probably wringing her hands right now wondering what she did wrong, but I have to agree with Aristotle on this one. Deity isn't just in sacred shrines, holy scrolls, or cherished objects. He/She doesn't just talk through any one person, or show up in one specified place; He/She is everywhere. Miracles happen everyday, and if you don't stop to appreciate: the morning dew, your six year old's smile, or the clerk at the coffee shop (even if you are on your way to church), you will miss the presence of the great divine in your life. In Christ at the Coffee Shop, Nathan Ingram takes the reader on a journey through exploring divinity's presence in our ordinary lives. He accomplishes this in a way, I'm certain, would make even my grandmother stop wringing her hands. For example: In one of his carefully crafted short stories, the protagonist discovers a mud-dwelling bug's nest. Rather than discard the nest and move on throughout his day, Ingram weaves the intricate design of the nest and the bug's life into a fantastic metaphor for human existence. Sweet, uplifting, and deeply touching, Christ at the Coffee Shop is an excellent read for both Christian and non-Christian's who can appreciate the spiritual tenets that run through all positive faiths. Several of the stories easily translate to Buddhist principles, basic Wiccan theology/thealogy (study of God/study of Goddess), Jewish teachings etc. Ingram's Chicken Soup-style collection, is down-to-earth, easy to read and holds appeal to multiple faiths. Christ at the Coffee Shop is the kind of book that you keep on your book shelf and pull down every once in a while when you are feeling introspective, need a good cry, a little laugh, or when you just need to feel like you are a part of something bigger in life; I highly recommend it to the spiritual reader who enjoys living in the present and savoring life (and my grandmother who will forgive me after she reads it).