The relationship between contemplation and modern life is examined by Lorna Kendall (1910–1995), in two essays inspired by Julian of Norwich’s image of two windows: one looking towards the altar and the other towards the world. Kendall asks how Christians can sustain lives of prayer while remaining fully engaged with the anxieties, divisions, and possibilities of contemporary society.
Contemplation is presented not as withdrawal from reality but as a way of perceiving the world more truthfully in the light of God. Kendall’s essays consider silence, renewal, the Eucharist, ecumenism, and the challenge of speaking credibly about faith in a changing age. Thoughtful and searching throughout, Windows offers a compelling vision of Christian discipleship rooted equally in prayer, action, and hope.