This is the age of the 'sound bite', the short and memorable one-liner or clever idea from politicians, celebrities and pundits. No longer, we are told, can people cope with complex ideas, lengthy speeches or complicated sermons. In our reflections on what gives life meaning, it is no different. We might wish people spent more time looking more deeply at issues, but the reality is that we look for what is easy to absorb and understand.

In Look Well to This Day, published previously, Tom Gordon offered what proved to be a useful resource as people faced the joys and sorrows, challenges and decisions of each day. In The Very Life of Life, he returns to this approach, offering a second year of daily reflections. When our time is limited, a short reflection can be as much as we can manage. When life is complex and difficult, a simple idea may be all we need. When each day is about making sense of what's happening to us, a reflective sound bite might help us through. Tom Gordon's reflections are simple and direct, but from his experience and wisdom he offers deep insights for the 'very life of life' we are living today.

Tom Gordon is a former hospice chaplain, a storyteller, a member of the Iona Community and the author of several books.