Holy Chaos: Creating Connections in Divisive Times

by Amanda Henderson

Overview

Daily living – and loving – in our fraught and deeply divided world can be disorienting, unpredictable, exhausting, and scary. How do we find peace in the midst of the chaotic spaces? Connection in the midst of division? Healing in the midst of suffering? In Holy Chaos, interfaith leader, activist, and pastor Amanda Henderson reflects on the core principles of rooting down, embracing fear, engaging curiosity, showing up, accepting our brokenness, finding joy in each other, and letting go to chart a way forward with integrity and love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780827215160
Publisher:	Chalice Press
Publication date:	05/19/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	196
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Rev. Amanda Henderson has served as Executive Director of The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado since 2014. She is an Ordained Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), where she has served as a pastor, and continues to preach and teach in multiple communities. She is a graduate of Brite Divinity School (Texas Christian University), an alumnus of the Beatitudes Society, and is a frequent speaker and writer on the topics of interfaith understanding, advocacy, and civic engagement. She is also a community leader in Denver, Colorado bringing people together for healing in times of tragedy, and mobilizing individuals and groups in times of injustice.

Table of Contents

Prelude, in the Midst ix

1 I Still Love You: Getting to the Heart of the Matter 1

2 First Things First: Seeking to Understand 12

3 Rootbound: Taking Time to Think 31

4 "I Can't Breathe": Seeing Fear 48

5 Embracing Curiosity: Wonder as an Act of Justice 64

6 Showing Up: Friendship as a Political Act 83

7 Broken: Messing Up 97

8 Cultivating Joy: Dance, Regardless 118

9 Letting Go, Holding On: What About My Family? 137

10 It Takes a Village: Building Community 151

Conclusion: In It for the Long Haul 167

Acknowledgments 177

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2020

What does Henderson mean by "holy chaos?" Based on her experiences as an interfaith activist as well as an ordained minister in the Disciples of Christ, her book plays on the reality that life is simultaneously holy and chaotic. She begins her book lamenting the election of 2016, and the fact that she and her parents were on opposite sides. But she is then motivated, as a person of faith, to seek ways to ameliorate disconnection. Her book does this by telling stories, providing questions for reflection, and offering charts that are good starting points for discussion. Henderson describes how fear appears in the body and can also be used as a tool of oppression. Next, she shares how different world religions deal with the fear of God, and how it can be used and abused by religious leaders Henderson maintains optimism throughout, demonstrating ways of moving beyond fear. Most of the book is devoted to dealing with productive ways of enjoying and cultivating love in the midst of holy chaos. VERDICT Readers interested in interfaith dialog, and seeking to build bridges between divergent communities across race, religion, sexual orientation, and politics will find practical advice and good examples here.—David Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., Philadelphia

Library Journal