Nick the Cat: Christian Reflections on the Stranger

Combining her storytelling skills with theological insights and reflections, Bondi here tells the story of the stray cat Nick, who wheedled his way into her family's life, home, and heart. At first almost nothing but a pathetic bag of torn, matted bones, Nick arrived unexpectedly but quickly won their hearts.  Under the care of a vet and the Bondis, he regained his health while receiving a home and much affection. His coming and going, his health and its decline, his insanity and death are gently told. Nick's presence prompts Bondi to reflect on the unexpected way grace comes into our lives and how we push away the Other, be it stranger, one who is sick, or a person of different orientations and beliefs.  She also comments on evil and mental illness; on suffering and the atonement; on the unexpected nature of love; on the training of the heart and mind and the discipline of the Christian life for dealing with otherness; on the pervasive and persistent nature of sin; and, on the nature of embodiment, mortality, and loss.

Roberta C. Bondi is Professor of Church History at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author of Night on the Flint River, In Ordinary Time, Memories of God, A Place to Pray, and Nick the Cat (forthcoming), all published by Abingdon Press.