The Road of Life: Reflections on Searching and Longing

by David Adam

In his thirteen years as Vicar, popular author David Adam welcomed over 1 million pilgrims to the Holy Island of Lindesfarne in Northumberland. Each pilgrim had a story to tell and each came for a different reason. Some radiated a sense of God's presence, and others were simply too hurried to do anything but look around quickly and move on to the next site. Using the stories of pilgrims Adam encountered on Holy Island, he explores how we can approach our own lives as pilgrimage, without ever leaving the comfort of our homes. How can we move beyond what is safe in our world and encounter the Mystery? How can we learn to disconnect from all the technology that keeps us multi-tasking all day and all night? How can we rediscover awe in the world around us? In the wonderful prose and poetry for which he is so well-loved, David Adam helps us get on the road of life, even when we don't have time to travel to distant lands.

Paperback

First published November 19, 2004

About the author

David Adam (b. 1936) was a British priest and author and one of the best-loved figures in Celtic Spirituality.


Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kevin J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short and simple reflection of David Adam's time as vicar on Holy Island, Lindisfarne, with observations of those on pilgrimage and there reasons for being there. Adam's touchpoint is celtic spirituality, but he inserts prose and poetry from a wide range of sources (including the wonderful Michel Quoist) to illuminate. He writes with a light touch, but depth of insight; the overall message is re-acquaintance with the world around us and rediscovering a sense of awe and mystery at being alive, even through darkness. There are some useful reflections and exercises at the end of each chapter. A good resource for those in need of a simple, spiritual uplift.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 bk 36. A friend introduced me to the poems/prayers of David Adam and I wanted to know more. Among his works I chose this title. It does not say so - but the book is about personal prilgrimage to learn more about a person's relationship with God and faith. This book was exactly what I needed to be reading in this time and place. I've been on a 4 year faith journey called EFM and Adam pulled together many of the ideas/thoughts/dreams I've had during this time. His chapters describe different pilgrims to Holy Island, sometimes with question/response or question/open responses. He always leaves you with historical prayer or poems of the many who have struggled to know God through the years, a way to respond to the reading, and a way of teaching yourself to give yourself grace.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another deep, delightful, reflective book from David Adam. I hope to visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne one day!

"The road of life is a journey into love and into God and if we miss out on this we have lost our way."

"The closer your get to anyone, or in fact to anything, the richer and more mysterious you find them."

"Pilgrimage is often not just a seeking of God but a response to his call. The journey is not only to find God, it is to travel in his presence and to journey deeper into the mystery and wonder of that presence and love."

"We need to recognize that our restlessness is often the call to look in new directions that we may discover the presence and love of God which is about us."

"To fill your eyes and your mind with new places and new experiences will not benefit you unless the heart is touched."

"To travel in body but not in heart cannot bring us peace or satisfaction. Though we must not forget that the love of God seeks to break in at all times. God offers himself to us whether we are aware of it or not."

"Nothing can separate us from God or his love. We need to learn to rest in that love wherever we are, to abide in him and know that he abides in us. Then we will know that God is with us wherever the road of life takes us."

"Pilgrimage of the heart is something we can all practise every day."

"Unless we make space in our day and our lives, we become overrun as a garden does with weeds."

"Learn to give your attention to those you live with, give them time and your undivided self. Then you will learn how to give yourself to God."

"It is amazing how so many adults fill their lives with triviality and worry over mere nothings when the glory of the world waits to speak to them."

"If we do not see the beauty and wonder of the world around us, how can we hope to behold the beauty of its Creator?"

"If we go through a world where we have closed our eyes to wonder, where we have become insensitive to beauty, all around us becomes dull, boring and empty."

"As God is greater than we can ever comprehend, there are always new mysteries and wonders for us to rejoice in."

"We need to learn to open our eyes beyond the obvious, to allow our minds to be enraptured by the wonders and mystery of the world, to allow our hearts to be touched by events around us."

"When religion is used to restrict life and adventure we need to look upon it with some suspicion."

"Until our faith is expressed in our day-to-day life it will remain weak and lacking in vigor."

"For my days to remain healthy, I needed this silence. For to be renewed in strength I needed to come before my God."

"To maintain enthusiasm, joy and love we need to be able to express them and share them in community. To celebrate life we need to be with other ‘burning coals’."

"The road of life is an adventure and a celebration. We are called to be among the living elements of the world, to rejoice in life and to celebrate our being: to enjoy the fact that we live and move, we grow and change, in the presence and power of God."