On the Edge of Hope: No Matter How Dark the Night, the Redeemed Soul Still Sings

The transparency and vulnerability in which this book was written is indeed life changing. Dr Bishop Mark Chironna is brilliant and a masterful communicator. This is the most real and genuinely helpful book I’ve ever read outside of the scripture itself. Whether you have personally struggled with anxiety and/or depression yet in your life, you know someone who has. This is a must read for everyone. It is a truly life changing, life giving book of hope. Thank you Bishop

Very honest, doesn't try to gloss over the hard stuff that he went through. Thanks for writing such a great book that has helped me a lot.

This book is a story of one man's journey through of crushing anxiety & deep depression & God's work of healing & redemption. It is also a richly insightful theological & psychological exploration of human brokenness & God's work of deliverance & restoration. It is an immensely readable & engaging book. It is full of human warms, naked honesty, & deep wisdom. Everyone who has faced, is facing, or will face the grinding trials of life in this broken & troubled world should read this book. I found it a deeply rewarding read.

I am only a few chapters into this book and so thankful that someone has actually understands and is able to articulate the difficulties of extreme anxiety in a Christian's life. There is often misinformation, preconceived ideas, and improper teachings that bring shame and condemnation to a Christian that suffers from debilitating effects of anxiety. Dr. Chironna, through his only life story, education, and study dispels these misconceptions. He brings clarity and understanding in a way I have never seen in writing before. I have already recommended this book and think that many will find their freedom in its pages.

The author happens to be my Bishop, and we've heard him refer to his dark season so many times it's become an undercurrent that runs through most of his teachings--but always with hope, always with a reminder of how God brought him through. Yet hearing casually about a dark season is one thing; reading about it in painful detail is quite another. Dr. Chironna is up-front about telling the reader early on that he can't share "all the stories" that led to his dark season, some no doubt to protect other people's privacy, and some because they are simply not for public consumption. As I read, I had the nagging sense that the oncoming "bus" that ran him over, upending his life, had more to do with those things left unsaid for a reason. He nonetheless paints a picture of his life becoming so unhinged he could barely function. Three things stood out to me most in this memoir of inner healing: the picture of Jesus "running our hands under warm water" (as Dr. Chironna's mother and grandmother did when he played in the snow as a child until his hands were nearly frostbitten); his prophetic dream, complete with a graveyard scene ala Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" that ironically led him to a hopeful revelation; and the allusion to Dante Alighieri standing in the middle of a dark wood in midlife, realizing the only way out of the woods was to go "through." I read The Divine Comedy long ago in a college literature course and had completely forgotten about this powerful metaphor. Just as Virgil becomes Dante's guide, leading him on his harrowing journey, Dr. Chironna has now become my guide—helping me to find my way out of the dark wood. And yes, it's midlife. And yes, his words will do the same for you.

If you wanna understand what real hope is going through dark season. This is a must read.

I thank God for Dr. Chrionna and his book, "On The Edge of Hope." I am using the book [I am still reading it] to challenge myself and to confront my current reality. I am reading it with pen in hand. I am not just making notes in the margins, but I am also supplementing the Questions to Ponder. For example, when, in chapter two, Dr. Chironna writes “we become skilled at developing avoidance strategies and other coping mechanisms to mitigate our apprehensions,” I list my apprehensions and identify my avoidance strategies and coping mechanism to mitigate those apprehensions. Thus, “On The Edge Of Hope” is for me more than an account of one man’s journey it is a guide that helps me navigate the storms of my current reality.

If you or anyone you know is in the dark night of the soul, this book will be so helpful! Dr. Chironna takes us on a journey through his own season that will help people to not feel alone in where they are. There are no quick fixes but there is hope!

Arrived in time for Christmas very pleases