In The Holy Intimacy of Strangers author Sarah York awakens readers to the potential for spiritual growth in every chance encounter. Once we recognize strangers as spiritual mirrors, life takes on a new meaning. We discover that a sacred spark can ignite anywhere, at any time--in parks, grocery stores, trains, elevators, checkout lines... the possibilities are endless.

York, an ordained minister, draws upon personal stories--her own as well as those of others--to illustrate the many ways we can better know ourselves (the stranger within), as well as the divine, through encounters with strangers. "The notion of intimacy with strangers poses an intriguing paradox," writes York, "we encounter the familiar in the unfamiliar, the known in the unknown, the self in the other, and the other in the self."

These aren't just stories about the kindness of strangers; some encounters are disarming and even threatening. Although the spiritual messages are rich and well mined, York also ventures into political lessons. When we stop seeing strangers as "the other," and begin to see them as fellow citizens of our global village, we can no longer distance ourselves from humanity's suffering. --Gail Hudson


From Publishers Weekly
Unitarian Universalist minister York made a splash with her slender inspirational books Remembering Well and Pilgrim Heart; fans won't be disappointed with this third volume, in which she turns her attention to hospitality. What does it mean to encounter the stranger? In a world that seems increasingly anomic, how can we create intimacy? Stories from York's own life exemplify hospitality she takes a homeless man to a diner for breakfast and finds meaning and closeness in small talk she makes with a man she often sees on her jogging route. (Don't be fooled, though: York, always a personable narrator, doesn't present herself as perfectly virtuous. She also loses her temper in traffic and dislikes waiting in lines.) One especially moving tale is that of Gary Smith, a minister who found himself stranded in a strange town with a toddler and a hospitalized wife. Another minister, whom Smith had never met before, came to the rescue, taking the toddler into his home until Smith's wife had recuperated. Stories like that, York suggests, are not so unusual; most of us can remember a time when we were helped by a stranger. York also offers practical tips: share a meal with friends; think of the Internet not as an atomizing force, but as a place of intimacy where old friends can reconnect; revive that older ethic of neighborliness. Above all, York stresses, hospitality means presence. Readers will find here what they have come to expect from York wisdom, humor and a glimpse of God's love.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
Unitarian Universalist minister York made a splash with her slender inspirational books Remembering Well and Pilgrim Heart; fans won't be disappointed with this third volume, in which she turns her attention to hospitality. What does it mean to en-counter the stranger? In a world that seems increasingly anomic, how can we create intimacy? Stories from York's own life exemplify hospitality--she takes a homeless man to a diner for breakfast and finds meaning and closeness in small talk she makes with a man she often sees on her jogging route. (Don't be fooled, though: York, always a personable narrator, doesn't present herself as perfectly virtuous. She also loses her temper in traffic and dislikes waiting in lines.) One especially moving tale is that of Gary Smith, a minister who found himself stranded in a strange town with a toddler and a hospitalized wife. Another minister, whom Smith had never met before, came to the rescue, taking the toddler into his home until Smith's wife had recuperated: Stories like that, York suggests, are not so unusual; most of us can remember a time when we were helped by a stranger. York also offers practical tips: share a meal with friends; think of the Internet not as an atomizing force, but as a place of intimacy where old friends can reconnect; revive that older ethic of neighborliness. Above all, York stresses, hospitality means presence. Readers will find here what they have come to expect from York--wisdom, humor and a glimpse of God's love. (Aug.) (Publishers Weekly, July 15, 2002)


Review
"Readers will find...wisdom, humor and a glimpse of God's love." (Publishers Weekly, July 15, 2002)


Review
"Fear of the stranger is far too common among us-and since September 11th, our fear has only deepened. But in a world rich in human diversity, much depends on understanding how our encounters with 'otherness' can enlarge and renew our lives. Sarah York's superb book opens door after door to that understanding. The Holy Intimacy of Strangers is not only timely but deeply soul-searching and wonderfully well-written. If we are willing to live into its insights, we will feel more at home on earth and help make earth home for others. — Parker J. Palmer, author, Let Your Life Speak and The Courage to Teach "In our market driven atomistic age, we are often thrown on the kindness of strangers. In this wise and poignant book, Sarah York shows us how to imbue these relationships with trust-and, yes, love." — Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author, Creating a Life and chair, National Parenting Association "The Intimacy of Strangers is a gift to the soul. In an often distracted, coarse, and fear-full culture, Sarah York awakens us to everyday moments of trust, connection, and care-and our capacity to choose what kind of 'strangers' we want to be. This book will unlock your imagination and open your heart." — Sharon Daloz Parks, coauthor, Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World and author, Big Questions, Worthy Dreams


Book Description
In The Holy Intimacy of Strangers Sarah York explores our common yearning for deeper and more meaningful connection with one another. The book presents the paradox we often observe: how our seemingly casual interactions with strangers can unlock the door to our hearts and help us discover how we need (and yet often resist) true intimacy in our relationships. This provocative book gives us a new way to look at the qualities of our exchanges with strangers. Once we begin this journey we can trace the outlines of our lives together in community-our expressions of caring and hospitality, the costs of prejudice and judgment, our fears and defensiveness, the tension between being inclusive or exclusive, our expectations and assumptions about one another.


From the Publisher
"Fear of the stranger is far too common among us-and since September 11th, our fear has only deepened. But in a world rich in human diversity, much depends on understanding how our encounters with 'otherness' can enlarge and renew our lives. Sarah York's superb book opens door after door to that understanding. The Holy Intimacy of Strangers is not only timely but deeply soul-searching and wonderfully well-written. If we are willing to live into its insights, we will feel more at home on earth and help make earth home for others. -- Parker J. Palmer, author, Let Your Life Speak and The Courage to Teach "In our market driven atomistic age, we are often thrown on the kindness of strangers. In this wise and poignant book, Sarah York shows us how to imbue these relationships with trust-and, yes, love." --Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author, Creating a Life and chair, National Parenting Association "The Intimacy of Strangers is a gift to the soul. In an often distracted, coarse, and fear-full culture, Sarah York awakens us to everyday moments of trust, connection, and care-and our capacity to choose what kind of 'strangers' we want to be. This book will unlock your imagination and open your heart." -- Sharon Daloz Parks, coauthor, Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World and author, Big Questions, Worthy Dreams


From the Inside Flap
How is it that we can sometimes reveal our innermost secrets to a stranger sitting next to us on an airplane yet find it difficult to be as open with our close friends? In The Holy Intimacy of Strangers Sarah York explores our common yearning for deeper and more meaningful connection with one another. The book presents the paradox we often observe: how our seemingly casual interactions with strangers can unlock the door to our hearts and help us discover how we need (and yet often resist) true intimacy in our relationships. This provocative book gives us a new way to look at the qualities of our exchanges with strangers. Once we begin this journey we can trace the outlines of our lives together in community-our expressions of caring and hospitality, the costs of prejudice and judgment, our fears and defensiveness, the tension between being inclusive or exclusive, our expectations and assumptions about one another. The Holy Intimacy of Strangers is filled with stories-from a heartwarming encounter with a family on a picnic in the park to being captive in an elevator with unpleasant fellow passengers?that illuminate the presence and meaning of strangers in our lives. The greatest spiritual gift we will receive from this book will be the one we give ourselves?of deepening compassion for ourselves and others as we gain a sense of our own power to make the world a gentler, more generous place.


From the Back Cover
What Do Our Encounters with Strangers Teach Us About Ourselves-and Our Connection with Others "Fear of the stranger is far too common among us-and since September 11th, our fear has only deepened. But in a world rich in human diversity, much depends on understanding how our encounters with 'otherness' can enlarge and renew our lives. Sarah York's superb book opens door after door to that understanding. The Holy Intimacy of Strangers is not only timely but deeply soul-searching and wonderfully well-written. If we are willing to live into its insights, we will feel more at home on earth and help make earth home for others. — Parker J. Palmer, author, Let Your Life Speak and The Courage to Teach "In our market driven atomistic age, we are often thrown on the kindness of strangers. In this wise and poignant book, Sarah York shows us how to imbue these relationships with trust-and, yes, love." — Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author, Creating a Life and chair, National Parenting Association "The Intimacy of Strangers is a gift to the soul. In an often distracted, coarse, and fear-full culture, Sarah York awakens us to everyday moments of trust, connection, and care-and our capacity to choose what kind of 'strangers' we want to be. This book will unlock your imagination and open your heart." — Sharon Daloz Parks, coauthor, Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World and author, Big Questions, Worthy Dreams


About the Author
Sarah York is an ordained minister (M.Div., Harvard Divinity School) and author of Pilgrim Heart: The Inner Journey Home and Remembering Well: Rituals for Celebrating Life and Mourning Death both from Jossey-Bass Publishers.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

How is it that we can sometimes reveal our innermost secrets to a stranger sitting next to us on an airplane yet find it difficult to be as open with our close friends? In The Holy Intimacy of Strangers, Sarah York explores our common yearning for deeper and more meaningful connection with one another. The book presents the paradox we often observe: how our seemingly casual interactions with strangers can help us discover how we need (and yet often resist) true intimacy in our relationships. This provocative book gives us a new way to look at the qualities of our exchanges with strangers. Once we begin this journey we can trace the outlines of our lives together in community -- our expressions of caring and hospitality, the costs of prejudice and judgment, our fears and defensiveness, the tension between being inclusive or exclusive, our expectations and assumptions about one another. The Holy Intimacy of Strangers is filled with stories -- from a heartwarming encounter with a family on a picnic in the park to being captive in an elevator with unpleasant fellow passengers -- that illuminate the presence and meaning of strangers in our lives. The greatest spiritual gift we will receive from this book will be the one we give ourselves -- of deepening compassion for ourselves and others as we gain a sense of our own power to make the world a gentler, more generous place.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly