In The Shelter

Hello to here. Hello to the name of here. What is the name for the place where you now are? To name a place requires us to be in a place. It requires close looking; it requires the dedication of observation and the commitment to truth. It requires us to resist dreaming of where we should be, and look around where we are. In this book of contemplation, poet, storyteller and theologian Padraig O Tuama relates ideas of shelter to journeys of life, opening up gentle ways of living well in a troubled world. Drawing inspiration from the Irish saying 'It is the shelter of each other that the people live', it also reflects on Jesus' simple greeting to his disciples on Easter Sunday, as described in the fourth gospel, as it invites us into a place of deep encounter with ourselves, our fears, each other and the sense of divinity embodied in a simple word: 'Hello'. Interweaving everyday stories with narrative theology, gospel reflections with mindfulness, and Celtic spirituality with poetry, In The Shelter reveals the transformational power of welcome.