Cathedrals of Connection: Your Invitation to Everyday Sacredness

The “simplest church on earth” is “the space between you and the next person you encounter,” according to this uneven outing from Good Guys coauthor Mattson, founder of interfaith organization Between. He argues that connecting with others can bolster spiritual growth, because even when conversations don’t directly center faith, they can teach participants important moral lessons and help them practice caring for others as Jesus cares for them. Such “small but mighty” moments of connection also help create a community from which people can best carry out God’s work and alleviate the “division, rage, loneliness and fear” tearing society apart. The account is light on practical ideas for facilitating connection—suggestions include practicing vulnerability and asking others careful questions about their pasts—and focuses instead on entreating readers to expend the effort to reach out to others and embrace productive discomfort. Such a message is timely, and many of the author’s stories are affecting, but they’re more often than not buried in digressive anecdotes. The result is an uplifting but incomplete invitation to love one’s neighbor. (Feb.)