How easy it is to become busy Christians, full of church-based activities or social action schemes, and yet how hard it is to talk about God. The reflective pieces in Nearer than Breathing draw us into the center of our faith, expressing both the astonishing beauty of God's presence and the mystery of a God who can never be fully known by us in this life. The Bible, too, has a place in these devotions, with the themes of Advent and the crucifixion serving as a springboard for prayer.