The Christian faith journey is travelled on a populated path. Solitary prayer and one's own con-templation, however, are often thought to be the formational center of the spiritual life.

In Sharing the Search, Thomas R. Hawkins seeks to broaden our understanding of the importance of relationship and community in the formation of the Christian character. Drawing upon scripture and Christian history, Hawkins demonstrates that community has always been important in God's contact with humanity.

God's call to us today is one of com-munity, hospitality, and openness to others as well as one of individual medi-tation and discernment. We are formed spiritually by our encounters with strangers and neighbors, a social dimen-sion of the formation of our Christian characters that is as important as individu-al, interior disciplines and exercises.