Earlier today, I joined the Rev William Barber and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove of Our Moral Moment for a live conversation about “Advent in a Time of Authoritarianism.”

Jonathan summed the discussion up this way:

For the second week of Advent we had a great live conversation about how beauty disrupts, lament opens us up, and Advent invites us to tunnel under authoritarian realities to find another way home, like the magi from the East in the biblical story.

Our discussion drew off of A Beautiful Year, but it moved into other Advent themes as well.

I loved being with them. I thought you’d enjoy listening in.

(There are a couple little glitches as I had trouble with my wifi! Be patient. It clears up. 🙂)

This is no time for a child to be born,With the earth betrayed by war & hateAnd a comet slashing the sky to warnThat time runs out & the sun burns late.

That was no time for a child to be born,In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;Honour & truth were trampled by scorn -Yet here did the Saviour make his home.

When is the time for love to be born?The inn is full on the planet earth,And by a comet the sky is torn-aYet Love still takes the risk of birth.

— Madeleine L’Engle

A Beautiful Year is available in three formats: hardcover, e-book (including Kindle), and audio. You can find the book at online booksellers and independent bookstores nationwide.

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