Praying The Message of the Scriptures in Troubled Times A Guide for Reflection

When we find ourselves in times of trouble, we can turn to the Bible for succor. That is the message of this precious little book by Lucas Amato. It comes at just the right time, when so many of us are looking for ways to cope, ways to understand, ways to hope, ways to turn our faith into action.

Amato offers not only reflections on many specific passages of the Bible but also lays out a simple method for finding and praying with other passages. The author uses The Message by Eugene Peterson — a popular, vibrant, and contemporary translation of the Scriptures — to help us move beyond the familiarity of the texts and apply them to the new challenges we are now facing in the world and in our lives.

Amato’s method, dating back to the early days of Christianity, employs four steps:

• Reading a passage
• Reflecting on how it applies to our lives
• Responding personally
• Receiving the grace it offers, including resting with the peace it brings and resolving to act on it with courage

Published in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, this book can help us reflect on and respond to the challenges we are facing: racism, economic suffering and inequality, global warming and severe weather, isolation, the breakdown of families and relationships, mental and physical health problems, addiction, violence, and so many other modern “troubles.”