Advent 2025
When it comes to inhabiting life fully, Mary is surely one of our greatest role models. "My soul magnifies the Lord" she sings in the Magnificat. Her spririted response to the Angel Gabriel's announcement that she is to bear the son of God is rich in nuance, contradiction and paradox.
So reads the synopsis on the back cover of the book . . .
Listening to the music of the soul
And these very characterstics inspire Bishop Guli Frances Dehgani to make connections between the themes of Advent and her own experiences - and to invite us to do the same.
Bishop Guli's forced exile from her homeland has echoes of the flight into Egypt; the murder of her brother Bahram during the Iranian Revolution, of the slaughter of the innocents. She writes intriguingly of how angels continue speaking to us today; how fear can prevent us from living well in the present; how pain and loss can be transformed by the power of beauty.
Deeepening its resonance, each chapter is linked to a piece of music, prompting us to consider: what are the enduring melodies that sustain us as the vibrant stories of oue lives unfold.
A highly recommnded read and audio for Advent!
And you can hear more from Bishop Guli and her choice of music on BBC Sounds: Desert Island Discs - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001vbq7