When Your Life Is on Fire, What Would You Save?

What would you save if your house was on fire and it contained not only everything you own but everything you are? This is the question writer, psychotherapist, and minister Kolbell (What Jesus Meant) poses to 13 diverse individuals, from such well-known individuals as actor Alan Alda to wounded Afghanistan veteran Don Lange, in this insightful book. Structured around his interviews, each chapter highlights unique and thoughtful responses that delve deeply into the participants’ personal lives, work, and faith. Woven together with Kolbell’s rich prose and theological reflections, their responses transcend personal narrative and reveal something about how we “derive a sense of the meaning of our existence and the purpose that this meaning invites for our lives.” The book is designed to provoke reflection and conversation and includes questions for discussion with each chapter. While Kolbell locates his theology within Protestant Christianity, those he interviews come from a variety of religious backgrounds. Readers who will most appreciate this book are those who, like Kolbell, use a theological lens to find sacred that which provides meaning in life. (Apr.)