Timothy Verdon's Art & Prayer: the Beauty of Turning to God is an awe-inspiring book, both in its exquisiteness and its substance. Published by Mount Tabor Press, it virtually has the power to lift one to the heights in prayer, held aloft by the beauty of the art reflecting the glory of God. This kind of inspiration is for many, a transformative moment, a moment of turning, of one's face to God in prayer.

       For others, in spite of ardent and heartfelt prayer, darkness lingers. Storm clouds seem to hover, as one misfortune banks upon another. A person in desperation might ask, "Where are you, God?" or question whether there is a God. During a very dark time in my life - it was the mid-80's - I cried out: "God, take me out of this pain, I'll do anything." That was not a prayer of pleading. It was not a bargain. It was not a promise. It was a raw cry.

       Only as months and years passed by, did I realize that I had experienced what spiritual masters would call a "first conversion," which sounds strange since I was raised with a strong religious faith. The more I endured the painful "turning" more and more toward the heart of God, the more I realized God was taking me out of my pain - God's grace, drop by drop onto my hardened heart. Gradually light began to pour into my soul. Prayer has become a daily practice in which I find beauty and consolation.

       The final sentence in Art & Prayer tells us of the reason for any prayer: "To see your face unveiled. At the last, beyond created beauty human beings will behold the beauty of the Creator, contemplating God in Christ Jesus. His alone is the beauty that saves the world" (p. 298). For this, I continue to strive. I hope to become. For this, I pray.

                        --by Jan