How We Learn to be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith by Mariann Edgar Budde

 

Summary (from the publisher): An inspirational guide to the key junctures in life that, if navigated with faith and discernment, pave the way for us to become our most courageous selves, by the bishop of the famed Episcopal Diocese of Washington, D.C.

The decisive moments in life are those pivot points when we’re called on to push past our fears and act with strength. With How We Learn to Be Brave, Bishop Mariann Budde teaches us to respond with clarity and grace even in the toughest times. Being brave is not a singular occurrence; it’s a journey that we can choose to undertake every day.

Here, Bishop Budde explores the full range of decisive moments, from the most visible and dramatic (the decision to go), to the internal and personal (the decision to stay), to brave choices made with an eye toward the future (the decision to start), those born of suffering (the decision to accept that which we did not choose), and those that come unexpectedly (the decision to step up to the plate). Drawing on examples ranging from Harry Potter to the Gospel According to Luke, she seamlessly weaves together personal experiences with stories from scripture, history, and pop culture to underscore both the universality of these moments and the particular call each one of us must heed when they arrive.

With Bishop Budde’s wisdom, readers will learn to live and to respond according to their true beliefs and in ways that align with their best selves. How We Learn to Be Brave will provide much-needed fortitude and insight to anyone searching for answers in uncertain times.

Review: This book wasn't on my radar until January 21st, 2025, when author Mariann Edgar Budde embodies the lessons that she imparts in this book by gracefully and humbly asking for mercy on a global stage, in front of the toughest audience there is. 

This is a deeply contemplative, spiritual reflection on ways to approach key junctures in life that require bravery in all its guises. This includes bravery and grace in the times when we are called to go, called to stay, to start, to accept what we did not choose, and to step up when needed. She includes personal examples, as well as other inspiring and wide-ranging examples from everything from pop culture, history, and biblical texts. I admire her wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of reflection and her humility in sharing numerous examples of when she felt she personally failed and what she took away from those moments. 

I was particularly moved on the section where she discusses Bishop Michael Curry and his teachings on the power of redemptive love. The gist is that only love is able to transform us from the people we are into the people God created us to be and to transform this world from the nightmare it often is in to the dream God has for all his children. Acceptance of the world's suffering as our collective responsibility and responding with sacrificial love is our most sacred task and accepting this task is a way to share in God's redeeming of our world. I was profoundly moved by this sentiment and backed up my audio (which was beautifully narrated by the author herself) to re-listen several times. 

A beautiful book that encourages reflection and faith in God's role in our life. Listening to this and thinking about ways to apply it to my own life felt like a deeply spiritual exercise. 

Stars: 4