Charles Waddell, ST PAUL’S, ISBN 9781923033061
In hard and depressing times we are often offered spiritual reading that intensifies our gloom. There is nothing wrong with seriousness and realism, of course. But writing that confines itself to explaining why we should be gloomy, takes us into a world of abstraction, or makes us focus on our defects, hardly does justice to the Good News.
Perth priest Charles’ Waddell’s little book Why the Risen Jesus Matters is an encouraging work for good and bad times. It leaves behind theological explanation of Jesus’ Resurrection and shows how a lively and all-embracing sense of the risen Jesus in our everyday world and lives can build our hope and enrich our prayer.
Focusing on the Risen Jesus takes us beyond thinking simply of the earthly Jesus. We certainly see Jesus’ face in the Gospels. But to pray to the Risen Jesus makes him more than a person to follow. He becomes a presence to be found in every aspect of our lives and all the circumstances of our world, both large and small.
Waddell tells many encouraging stories of ordinary people met in his life in England and Australia who, after suffering great loss, found comfort and hope in the risen Jesus. We are invited to find him in every detail of our lives, inviting, reassuring and leading.
This book allows us to enter a world become alive with Christ.