Light for the Way: Seeking Simplicity, Connection, and Repair in a Broken World
As Christian nationalism and authoritarianism gain more and more cultural power, we don't need less soul, but more. We need a more resilient faith that can resist power and principalities and prophetically imagine an alternative world, centered in justice and love. Integral to this kind of prophetic faith is a commitment to simple spiritual practices and communal connections. Even in the most dire and demoralizing times, practices of contemplation, sabbath rest, and community offer sustenance and power.
Light for the Way is a powerful, yet meditative collection of pieces from the last fifty years of Sojourners magazine, exploring how contemplative practices, rest, simplicity, environmental engagement, and communal care are essential for sustaining our resistance and repairing our world. And Sojourners continues that work today. With essays from beloved spiritual writers, including Julia Alvarez, Margaret Atwood, Walter Brueggemann, Kaitlin Curtice, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, and Richard Rohr, Light for the Way is a soulful companion.
Order Now
Author Bio
Rose Marie Berger, editor of Light for the Way, is a Catholic peace activist and poet who serves as a senior editor of Sojourners magazine. Rose’s work in Christian nonviolence has taken her to conflict zones around the world and is active in the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, a project of Pax Christi International. She is author of Bending the Arch: Poems (2019), Drawn By God: A History of the Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries from 1967 to 1991 (with Janet Gottschalk, 2012), and Who Killed Donte Manning? The Story of an American Neighborhood.
What People Are Saying
Barbara Brown Taylor
New York Times bestselling author of An Altar in the World, Learning to Walk in the Dark, and Holy Envy
"At the moment, I cannot think of a better tonic for the spirit than this new collection from Sojourners, which has been in the business of encouragement for as long as some of us have been alive. Whether you are ready for refreshment from some of your favorite authors or on the lookout for new sources of inspiration, you will find them here."
Leah Rampy
Author of Earth and Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos; coauthor of Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees
"For more than fifty years, Sojourners has been a source of wisdom and inspiration for the world. Light for the Way is a treasure trove of articles—contemplative, pragmatic, and prophetic—that are as timely today as when they were written. Covering a variety of themes, they offer guideposts to faith in action in these fraught times."
Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis
Author of We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor and You Only Get What You’re Organized to Take: Lessons from the Movement to End Poverty
"In a world teetering on the edge of division, injustice, and despair, Light for the Way is the kind of book we need now more than ever—a guide and companion on the journey toward repair, renewal, and a justice revival. In these pages, you will find not just theological reflection but a morally rooted call to action, inviting us to practice as we preach and to learn as we lead."
Publishers Weekly
Starred Review
"Taken together, the pieces [in Light for the Way] offer a wide-ranging and imaginative exploration of how religion's eternal truths raise questions in unexpected arenas of modern life. The result is a thought-provoking interrogation of what Christian spirituality means today."
Articles and Interviews
- Presbyterian News Service article by Mike Ferguson. Interviewee: Betsy Shirley | February 10, 2026
- A Matter of Faith Podcast with Simon Doong. Interviewee: Betsy Shirley. | January 29, 2026
- Found Family Podcast with MaryB. Safrit. Interviewee: Rose Marie Berger | January 13, 2026
Follow Sojourners on Social Media
