Light for the Way: Seeking Simplicity, Connection, and Repair in a Broken World

By Sojourners magazine, edited by Rose Marie Berger. Broadleaf Books, 2026. 336 pages. $28.99/hardcover; $18.99/eBook.

“Light for the Way” could be the title of a Quaker book of writings to accompany and encourage contemplatives and activists in our world today. This Light for the Way, however, is the title of a new and timely anthology of devotional reading and inspiration from the editorial team at Sojourners. While many may be familiar with Sojourners the magazine, I came to know Sojourners as a social justice advocacy organization during my time at Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL); both organizations are based in Washington, D.C., and work together on many of the same issues. For over 50 years, Sojourners has been a leading interfaith organization for progressive Christians who understand the call to justice from a spiritual basis.

Selecting from the depth of interviews and essays published by Sojourners magazine over the past 50 years, the editors of this collection have included wisdom from people whose names are well-known. Interviews with Thomas Keating, Kathleen Norris, Wendell Berry, and Cynthia Bourgeault, and essays by Bill McKibben, Daniel Berrigan, and Margaret Atwood grabbed my attention, although every essay offers a source of contemplation. The book divides the essays into six categories: contemplative practices, rest and sabbath, simplified life, spiritual thriving and paradox, creatureliness, and communal resilience. Here are a few essay titles that I found compelling: “Rest Is Holy, Not a Reward for the Productive”; “How to Be Alone”; “The Howard Thurman Question That Changed My Faith”; and “When Your Nation Is Stuck in a Spiritual Desert.”

“Led Out in Joy,” the title of the section on communal resilience, gives perspective from writers who question Christianity as a singular spirituality, offering stories of how a person’s culture—their ancestors, the natural world, the essential traditions of a life—can create a more fulsome community, often blended with Christian beliefs. I appreciated the contributions from Chris La Tray, a Métis storyteller; Néstor Medina, a Pentecostal pastor; and Mihee Kim-Kort, a queer Presbyterian pastor, who all shared stories about their own spiritual lives flourishing within their community. Kim-Kort ends her essay reflecting on a tattoo she got of Isaiah 55:12: “For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace.”

It’s right there in the middle of my back, and I like to imagine it is perhaps a spot where the hand of the Holy Spirit might nudge me forward. She keeps me going, reminding me of the goodness of this strange life, this stunning world.

When I worked at FCNL, I often felt nudged by the Holy Spirit, often when we collaborated with Sojourners in advocating for peace and justice. It was inspiring to stand together with Rev. Adam Taylor and his predecessor Rev. Jim Wallis, who was a founder of Sojourners, as we spoke for immigration justice, healthcare, and food assistance programs. The collaboration between FCNL and Sojourners and with many other faith-based organizations and religious denominations is an important voice to members of Congress.

That last essay I listed above, “When Your Nation Is Stuck in a Spiritual Desert,” was written by Taylor, president of Sojourners and an ordained Baptist minister, and offers this wisdom for readers: “Contemplation grounds and sustains faith-inspired activism.” In his role, Taylor recognizes the challenges that Christian leaders and activists face: “we must constantly resist the dangers of self-righteousness, absolutism, and, at worst, demonizing and hating our opponents and enemies, which has become all too common in American politics.” Today, as we see white Christian nationalism promoted throughout the United States, it is essential that people of faith who understand religious freedom in this country know that the freedom to practice our religions and to speak truth from our spiritual grounding is essential to the hope of creating a beloved community.

The voices and words in Light for the Way impart valuable messages of wisdom and inspiration. I recommend this compelling collection for Friends and all people of faith to stay grounded, strong, and hopeful in life in the Spirit in a world that can be violent and unjust. It serves as proof that fortifying ourselves through community, contemplation, and collective action does provide light for the way.

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Diane Randall is a member of Friends Meeting of Washington (D.C.). Diane served as general secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation from 2011–2021. Friends faith and practice as manifested in worship and through public ministry provide her with a continuous source of hope.