The author/photographer is a former diocesan priest who is now a monk at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. In his foreword, Patrick Hart, OCSO, writes that Fr. James "uses his camera as a contemplative instrument," combining strikingly beautiful photos with brief reflections to draw the viewer into "profound silence, wondering at the beauty of God's creation in the lowly and hidden aspects of life."
Behrens chose ordinary subjects in and around the monastery in all seasons and all lights. Nature is represented generously, as are the elements of the monks' daily lives: a candle mounted on the wall, work boots, arched walkways, and church Psalters. One page shows two mops with the caption "We all have bad hair days." The spread on solitude features a full-page photo depicting the corner of a room with masonry walls. A simple red chair sits beneath a window whose frame casts a striped shadow. In the accompanying text Behrens remarks on our culture's relationship with cell phones, wondering if users miss the solitude replaced by constant connection to others. He disagrees with those who consider the absence of cell phones in the monastery "a big disconnect." Humans need solitude, he writes. "Everyone has a bit of the monk in them. We carry a little chip inside of us that is reserved for connecting with God." In A Place Apart, there's another single red chair, this time an adirondack, against a sunny outdoor wall that highlights its shadow.
A work so movingly creative cannot be described adequately, only recommended enthusiastically. Portraits of Grace is an ideal gift for self and others.
Taking a retreat at a monastery has the potential to bring you closer to God by stripping away the stresses and concerns of everyday life. Father James Behrens, retreat master at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia, has brought this potential to life with his amazingly lovely, grace-filled color photographs. A bee dances upon a flower; a pair of well-worn work boots sit at the ready; a lonely cross leans against a pine tree. What is missing from the book are the things that so often weary us: crowds, malls, technology. Instead, we see the hand of God tenderly touching and illuminating ordinary moments. The book invites readers on a powerful visual retreat and reveals the author's talent for seeing grace everywhere.
