The word “Wilderness” in the subtitle of this book does not refer to the outdoors but to the intended reader who is trying to find their way in the world, wandering as a spiritual nomad.
Bessey writes beautifully and intimately, mostly in the form of letters. If you’ve heard of epistolary novels as a genre, well, this is epistolary spirituality. “Dear Beloved One…” “Dear Growing…” “Dear Heartbroken…” are how three of the letters begin. What follows is advice, but mostly companionship. This is a book of hope and questing.
Bessey writes about topics such as looking for good teachers (chapter 12), going slowly on purpose (chapter 8), and telling the truth and learning to lament (chapter 6). Her intended reader is most of all someone who has lost faith, become disillusioned by organized religion, and yet remains passionate about something sacred or holy in life. Bessey is herself, as is well-known, a post-evangelical but still committed Christian. She has associated in the past with Oral Roberts University, Regent College, and the Vineyard Movement of churches. She cohosts the popular “Evolving Faith” podcast. What comes through in her book is an increasing and profound sense of loss and abandonment.
At one point, she writes: “You know you’re standing in a place you know or knew, but you can’t get your bearings because all of the ways you’ve navigated your life have been destroyed.” And then, “In my conversations with people like us, the one constant thing, the thing we all seem to have in common, is that we’ve experienced loss. Even if we don’t lose our faith or belief altogether, we’ve experienced loss in relationships, in community, in our own sense of self.”
Later on, the chapter “Remember to Be For, Not Just Against,” begins with a letter to “Dear Scrappy One,” and encourages recipients “to keep in mind that the journey we’re on is still toward.” She writes, “Toward our true name. Toward truth. Toward reconciliation.” She also adds, for herself, “Toward Jesus,” showing that she still remains Christian, but with a feeling of homelessness. Her book is designed as a step toward reconstruction.
