cover image Mind the Light: Seeing the World with Spiritual Eyes

Mind the Light: Seeing the World with Spiritual Eyes

J. Brent Bill, . . Paraclete, $14.95 (151pp) ISBN 978-1-55725-489-4

Those seeking a series of clever tips for cultivating spiritual growth overnight will not want to delve into this deceptively simple meditation on the Quaker custom of mindful seeing. A Friends minister and author of Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality , Bill describes his book as "a way of seeing our inner and outer lives with spiritual eyes and discovering the connectedness between inner and outer sight." Like a neighborly conversation across a kitchen table, this slender volume emphasizes the mundane details of daily life as they are enlightened by being attentive to the Spirit of God that Quakers believe dwells within each person. As much the writer's spiritual diary as it is an objective primer in spiritual exploration, the book includes chapters on learning to see God's light in creation, in others, within ourselves and in God. Brimming with homely parables of spiritual illumination found in museum exhibits, snowstorms or the expression on his beloved wife Nancy's face (she appears quite frequently), the book is punctuated with frequent "illuminating moments" or questions intended to evoke reflection. Bill's plethora of examples of spiritual sight sometimes overwhelm the point he wants to make, but readers interested in learning more about Quaker spiritual practices will find this a useful volume. (Sept.)