Our world has never been busier. Life flies by in a whirlwind of routine – working, eating, running around after the kids, keeping fit and occasionally sleeping. We try to squeeze in some time for prayer and reading the Bible, but are far more focused on being productive in a world governed by performance metrics. We are so caught up in all we feel we have to do that we forget about what is really important. We even feel guilty whenever we take a break, constantly aware of the pressure never to fall behind in our always-on world.
But deep down, we may sense that this pace of life is far from the way God intended us to live. We long to achieve the seemingly impossible task of living life wisely with God at the centre – but without retreating to a monastery or surrenduring our phones.
Katharine Hill believes this is not only possible, but vital. After lockdown forced her to take a long hard look at her own life, she sensed a call to walk more closely with God in her everyday, imitating the attentive stillness of the lioness rather than the busy hurrying of the ant.
Drawing on biblical wisdom and insights from Christian thinkers throughout history, Katharine invites us to consider what it really means to be ‘born free’ in Christ – how we can learn to stop, be still and make space for God to continue his redeeming work in our lives, while working productively, leading well and making a difference in our families, our communities and our world.