Living Gently in a Violent World

I'd read other books by Jean Vanier and have been blown away. Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness had such a promising title for our times, but it wasn't what I expected. I had thought there'd be references and anecdotes about living in L'Arche, the community Vanier helped start to connect with people with disabilities. I thought it would then provide insights for people who don't live in that community to deal with the violence, large and small in our society.

It really doesn't. Instead Vanier and co-author Hauerwas describe Vanier's life and times in L'Arche and add some theology to shed light on our attitudes towards those with disabilities. It never offered enough about life in other settings. It was just too limited for me in that regard. Also, I could have done with out Hauerwas' chapters since they seemed so distant and theoretical.