Best this month Hereafter
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
This almost contemplative film weaves together three stories of very different people who are trying to come to terms with death, loss and their connections with others. The main characters are a San Francisco psychic, a boy traumatized by the death of his twin brother, and a woman whose near-death experience in the Indo- nesian tsunami changes her life. Director Clint Eastwood refuses to
take sides for or against psychic mediums, the universal nature of near-death experi- ences, or communication between people in this world with those on the other side. He remains open to those possibilities and their relevance to those whose lives have been transformed by these experiences. Hereafter also reveals how uncomfortable people get when thinking about death and what happens after death.
A Sick Day for
Amos McGee This Caldecott Medal winner and New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award winner for youngsters 4 through 8 is the cre-
ation of a talented husband-and-wife team: writer Philip C. Stead and illustrator Erin E. Stead. He has come up with an endearing tale of friendship and the reciprocal nature of kindness that has uni- versal appeal. She has fashioned wonderful char- acters and rendered the story with soft colors. Zookeeper Amos McGee always has plenty of
The Brussats pub- lish the website www. SpiritualityandPractice. com where you can find more information about the items reviewed in this column.
time to be truly present with his animal friends. He plays chess with the elephant, runs races with the tortoise, sits quietly with the penguin, lends a handkerchief to the rhinoceros and reads stories to the owl. When Amos is sick one day, the animals really miss him. But then they come up with a plan that makes them all feel good (Roar- ing Brook Press, http:// us.m
acmillan.com).
42 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
In Hereafter, Cécile De France and Matt Damon play people who are touched by death in different ways.
We commend Eastwood for making such a poignant
and meaningful movie (Warner Home Video, PG-13 for mature thematic elements, disturbing disaster/accident images, language).
Walking Home:
From Eden to Emmaus Margaret Guenther begins this book on walkers in the Bible with the story of Adam and Eve’s expul- sion from the Garden of Eden and ends with Jesus’ encounter with the men on the road to Emmaus. “We are always on the way,” she notes. “The point of all our walking (tedious or joyous, rambling or purposeful) is going home.”
Other walkers covered here include Hagar, Abraham and Isaac, Moses, Mary and Joseph, Jesus and Mount Tabor, the prodigal son, Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, and Jesus on the walk to Golgotha. Guenther ponders the delicate art of looking back, the patience and cour- age needed for the long journey out of exile, the dif- ficulty of the trip through unknown territory, the value of accepting the hospitality of others along the way, the wise use of detours, and the pleasures of walking with friends. It is gratifying to see how this biblical theme can be worked out in so many meaningful ways. Walk- ing is not only good exercise but is a spiritual practice for many people that can yield great benefits (More- house,
www.churchpublishing.org).
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