All Columns in Alphabetical Order


Monday, February 7, 2011

READ THIS: Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup

In her award-winning memoir Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup won the hearts of readers across the country with her deeply moving and deftly humorous stories of faith, hope and family. Now, with her inimitable voice and generous spirit, she turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment in MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY. As a minister, Kate Braestrup regularly performs weddings. She has also, at 44, been married twice and widowed once, and accordingly has much to say about life after the ceremony.

An excellent follow-up to Here if You Need Me, Kate Braestrup's new book, Marriage and Other Acts of Charity, proves to be another moving glimpse into the life of its extraordinary author.  Braestrup shares her definition of love and how, in the face of pain and loss, it is truly the only thing that matters.

She quotes I Corinthians 13, in which St. Paul writes, "these three remain: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love."  Braestrup manages to unfold the truth of his statement with a recipe of true stories from her life and the lives of the wardens with whom she works, mixes in a bit of Greek and Latin, as well as her hallmark dash of self-deprecating humor, to create a delicious taste of agape and charitas.  

Braestrop's writings of true love, both displayed in all its glory and stingily withheld, open the reader's eyes to the true meaning of love: desiring the wholeness and happiness of the other.    What would the world be like, if we were all committed to loving this way?  What if it weren't all about me and my happiness?  Imagine the impact on a child, a marriage, a country, if we actually showed charitas to our familes?  Our enemies?

If you're looking for a quick, fluffy read, Marriage and Other Acts of Charity is probably not for you.  However, those who may be searching for a thought-provoking (but short and definitely not intimidating) experience that may possibly change the way they think about and interact with others.  This is the spark you have been waiting for!

Back to TOP