Signs, by Jean Vanier

Vanier is a man of wisdom who writes profoundly and with clarity. He speaks from a lifetime of embodying the gospel through the formation of L’Arche communities he’s established throughout the world, where able-minded people live together with and learn from people with intellectual disabilities. Signs contains short essays on seven themes: humiliation, awakening, encounter, authority, community, vulnerability, and mystery. While each chapter is a gem, the one on community is particularly pertinent given Vanier’s experience. He doesn’t gloss over the difficulties, yet he points a way toward breaking down walls that separate people, a way that yields real communion with others and offers hospitality to those on the outside.