The way I understand the gaze of God to have a defining influence on spiritual growth and development has, as its overarching image, the way a mother gazes at her infant at the breast: It is a gaze that is tender; all-absorbing; exclusive; filled with wonder and love; tranquil; and protective. Just as the mother’s gaze engages the infant in a dialogue without words and provokes a response, so too the gaze of God evokes a response from the human heart. Just as the mutual gaze of mother and infant sets up a relationship which becomes the basis of communication, so too the mutual gaze of God and the soul become the basis for prayer. The main insight of the book is that the movement into union with God is circular rather than linear; that it is not exclusively a movement into something new, something that has not previously occurred, but is also, and more importantly, a movement towards recapturing something which has already existed, namely, that relationship we enjoyed, albeit pre-consciously, at our mother’s breast when God looked upon us and saw that we were very good.

Book of meditations.

The author claims that she had a spiritual experience at the age of thirty-four that gave some unity to her life. She experienced the gaze of the Crucified Christ in a very powerful way. This is where the name of the book comes from. The book contains a theological reflection on the gaze of God, but it is also the autobiography of the author, and it includes references to the people, the music, the movies, the books, and the politics that made her life what it is. The author claims that, throughout her ups and downs, even in sin and illness, she has felt that Christ’s gaze has stayed: loving, forgiving, and accompanying.

The way I understand the gaze of God to have a defining influence on spiritual growth and development has, as its overarching image, the way a mother gazes at her infant at the breast: It is a gaze that is tender; all-absorbing; exclusive; filled with wonder and love; tranquil; and protective. Just as the mother's gaze engages the infant in a dialogue without words and provokes a response, so too the gaze of God evokes a response from the human heart. Just as the mutual gaze of mother and infant sets up a relationship which becomes the basis of communication, so too the mutual gaze of God and the soul become the basis for prayer. The main insight of the book is that the movement into union with God is circular rather than linear; that it is not exclusively a movement into something new, something that has not previously occurred, but is also, and more importantly, a movement towards recapturing something which has already existed, namely, that relationship we enjoyed, albeit pre-consciously, at our mother's breast when God looked upon us and saw that we were very good.

Before being published as a small book, these "counsels of perfection" and spiritual notes by Blessed Edward Poppe (1890-1924), a Belgian priest whose cause for canonization is under way, had been transcribed a hundred times by hand by those who had tasted their flavor, vigor, and supernatural wisdom. Fresh and luminous, this little book has been a tremendous success in Dutch, French, Italian, and German; it now appears at last in English. Responding well to the needs of the faithful, it will become an inseperable vademecum for all those who wish to live "under the gaze of God."

Overly concerned about what people think of you? Edward T. Welch uncovers the spiritual dimension of people-pleasing—what the Bible calls fear of man—and points the way through a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and others.

"Deep Waters: Lift Your Gaze" is a beacon of light to those who are going through difficult times. This book combines solid biblical teaching, sweet prophetic poems, and powerful intercessory prayers for the reader. It also provides the rare opportunity for personal reflection through each chapter's application questions and prayer journal.