You are not alone.
A dazzling cloud of witnesses hovers nearby to
encourage and remind us that God uses real
people — ancestors of the spirit or "saints" — to achieve the divine purpose in surprising ways every day.
This is a "saints book" like no other. W.Paul
Jones regains the biblical idea of sainthood —
God works through baffled, blemished people
and events to bring news of joy, creativity and
awe to a world in pain.
An Eclectic Almanac for the Faithful is an
exuberant month-by-month guide, describing saints ancient and modern in short, lively summaries.
But Jones stretches beyond official church
saints to include personalities from the world of
contemporary politics and the arts. God’s hand
is at work in the life of Martin Luther King Jr.,
George Orwell, Mahalia Jackson, Thurgood
Marshall, George Frederich Handel, Anne Frank,
Tecumseh, Thomas Merton and Maggie Kuhn,
co-founder of the Gray Panthers.
Jones goes even further, listing spirit-shaking
events, some somber, others playful — Earth
Day, the Oklahoma City bombing, global
warming, April Fool’s Day. No human endeavor
or sorrow is beyond the reach of God.
Each day’s roster ends in a prayer of passion
and zest. One declares: “God, put me to your
will, rank me with whom you will. Put me to
doing, put me to suffering. Let me be full, let me
be empty. Let me have all things, let me have
nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.”
His eclectic collection includes space to write down the names of mentors and luminaries in your own life.
Enjoy this rousing roll call of heroes, who are blessed by a God who specializes, Jones says, in making us instruments of the divine vision “in spite of ourselves.”
