To say that David (along with Rachel Held Evans RIP, Nadia Bolz Weber and others who engage on social media, especially during the Festive Times of the pandemic) have kept my faith going through a long difficult season, would be an understatement. I originally met David Peters through his presence on social media, attended his prayer services through the pandemic and shared some of my own story over the years. So I was honored when he asked me to read this new book. I was also blown away when I did so.
This book is personal, empathetic (not merely sympathetic), compassionate, philosophical, theological and deeply engages the lived experience of trauma and what that means for faith and encountering the Divine (in this case in the person of Jesus.) While it is written for an audience who has experienced and is living with trauma (and includes some good caveats and guidance on that), it is a book that is worthy of a much broader audience of anyone who has experienced challenges and seasons of struggle in their faith. (If we are honest, I think that is most of us! That is, a feature, not a bug in my view of faith.)
I used this book for my Lenten reflection, reading one of the short (less than 5 pages) chapters each day as a devotional. Part sermon (in the best way as witness and application of faith by engaging Jesus through the texts of Scripture), part philosophical reflection and all practical application and implications, the chapters engage many of the most difficult parts of faith and trauma, read through the post-traumatic lens and experience. There is important historical and social context that Peters brings into conversation with personal experiences, the literature and writing on trauma and contemporary events and experiences (especially war and its aftermath) in a way that feels natural and easy to digest, while being thought-provoking.
Having been born into the faith and married (and now divorced from) to a Lutheran pastor for over 20 years, many of these texts about Jesus are very familiar and I have heard MANY sermons and reflections on them. However, the way in which the elements of each short chapter are woven together really did make them fresh for me. The lens of trauma is one that so many are familiar with, but robust engagement with the role of trauma in Jesus, the texts about him and the community that he gave birth to are less familiar and common. We are told that God through person of Jesus, understands our pain and has experienced the human condition, but Peters book goes much deeper into that basic tenet and asks us to consider what that means in a deep experiential way that is neither clean, nor simple. This is the gift of the book.
This book reflects some of the stories that I know about Rev. Peters and many others that I did not, so it is a highly personal reflection on trauma and faith. However, in dealing with issues of trauma (and I very much appreciate the guidance, reflection on the some of the literature around trauma and empathy that is infused in every word), this is also a reflective book that is accessible and relevant for those who have been spared trauma but might struggle with their faith for other reasons or those that just want a deeper reflection.
This is a wonderful, meaningful and challenging journal and I cannot recommend it highly enough especially to my friends who have experienced and are living with trauma. It is also important for those in faith communities and traditions who do not consider themselves as having experienced trauma, to understand and engage the reality of these experiences for our brothers, sisters and friends in faith. My recommendation is to read it a chapter at a time and take time for each chapter to sit and work with you. There is much to consider, feel, think about and engage.
Practicing Philosophy in Real Time 