Scott Cairns is the author of six collections of poetry including Love's Immensity: Mystics on the Endless Life. Plunged into grief over the death of two dogs and his father, the author notes: "Our afflictions drag us — more or less kicking — into a fresh and vivid awareness that we are not in control of our circumstances, that we are not quite whole." In short and poignant essays, Cairns probes the teachings and blessings that are often hidden in suffering, loss, pain and grief.
After musing on the events of September 11 and its aftermath, the author states that affliction often brings us into a close encounter with our own weaknesses, the emptiness of our pride, and possible access to greater, genuine living. Next, Cairns presents the insights he gleaned from a visit with some monks at Mount Athos in Greece who share their insights into the union with Christ through the mystery of grace. Other chapters explore the value of the arts in dealing with suffering and loss, the art of bearing one another's afflictions, dwelling in "the image of God," the indictment of God for causing the innocent to suffer, and the wonderful gift of life together in community. Cairns ends with a quotation by Simone Weil: "The extreme greatness of Christianity lies in the fact that it does not seek a supernatural remedy for suffering, but a supernatural use for it."
