And then she said

Silliness, sensitivity, sexuality, suffering, surprise – this rich collection of true stories offers a glimpse into the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, revealing the power of faith, the beauty of human connection, and the unexpected ways in which God can work in our lives.

Stories should stand by themselves, especially true stories. For the author or the teller to add a personal note by way of ‘My own perspective is …‘ or ‘The moral of this tale is …’ prohibits the story from resonating with the experience of the reader or the hearer. All the stories in And Then She Said are true. They come from real life, they involve real people. All they need is to be read, not explained.

Including people of many nations, cultures and circumstances, these stories encompass everything from suspected smuggling of pornography to harbouring an alleged enemy in an occupied nation; from being the unlikely confidante of a dying boy to drinking coffee with a convicted murderer; from discovering faith in the face of tragedy to identifying the hidden source of sacrificial generosity.

John L Bell is a member of the Iona Community, for which he has worked for most of his life in the areas of liturgy, spirituality and social justice. For over forty years he has been a contributor to religious broadcasting. Songs produced in association with his colleagues are published in English-speaking nations, and in translation in several European countries. John lives in Glasgow.