The Alphabet of Grace

This book celebrates The Divine in the smallest of things: the movement of trees, the space between letters in a word. It transcends theological and dogmatic boundaries and invites us all to rejoice in all that is God.

Buechner has a way of bringing the tough questions we all ponder to the surface in this great book. Using a poetic, narrative style, he allows the reader to walk through one day of his life and to enter his brain as he questions the meaning of life and the purpose of our existence. It's not an easy read, and I think Buechner intended it to be this way. If is was too easy, we'd be content to whiz through it and move on with things, just as we often do in our lives...he's teaching us to live a little differently.

This is a tough little book--beautiful, but demanding of the reader. Like great poetry, everything about the book, including its structure and multiple levels of meaning, work together to reinforce its theme--which is fundamentally "why are we here?" That's maybe the most basic question each of us faces. This book provides a thoughtful, nuanced response, and holds up a mirror for us to respond ourselves. After a couple of false starts, I got through it and it changed my life. Really.

I thought this book was very insightful. Buechner has a way with words that rival many a poet. He crafts his thoughts into images that stirred my heart and challenged my soul. A good read for anyone searching for meaning in this crazy life.