Along the Emmaus Road: Walking with the Risen Christ

A.J. Pell is the rector of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Diocese of New
Westminster in British Columbia.

Books of meditations for Lent are becoming more and more common. They
each start with Ash Wednesday and end 46 days later, with Easter. The
intervening time, more often than not, is divided into weekly themes,
with seven different approaches to, or expositions of, the weekly theme.
Although this book proceeds from Ash Wednesday to Easter, the author
gives each of six themes the time it needs, from five days for
“Starting Out” to 11 days for “Out and Into Mission.” There is a
basic pattern for each day’s meditation—scripture reference,
meditative exposition of that text’s meaning, suggestions for further
pondering, a prayer by Pegi Ridout—but no standard length, an unusual
feature.

The book draws the reader in with its simple (but not simplistic) and
personal tone. Cairney writes as though he were talking to a friend or
to a parishioner seeking to explore a biblical passage or some aspect of
living for and with Christ. Many of his illustrations come from his own
life: the birth of his stillborn child; the last birthday party of a
friend with AIDS; a hike with his wife and sons; a chance encounter with
a refugee family in the park; experiences on a tour to the Dominican
Republic.

The prayers are not as appealing or useful as the meditations. In
style, they bring to mind the prayers of Michel Quoist, but they lack
the depth and openness of those prayers. On the whole, though, this book
makes for an engaging encounter with the divine in the everyday.