Jim Belcher in In Search of Deep Faith chronicles his family’s journey to various
historic sights. What Belcher does quite well in this is make the history come
alive with meaning for the present context. While there is not time or space
here to dive into all of Belcher’s insights I would like to highlight one that
perhaps meant the most to me.
Victory has already
been won. We wanted our kids to understand that the kind of life Bonhoeffer
lived—a life of joy in the midst of suffering, a courageous life of obedience—only
happens when we know our true telos, our destination. We wanted them to realize
that, like Bonhoeffer, they are part of a huge drama and that they know how it
ends. And because they know how it ends, and because they are part of this big
script, they are able to live lives of profound meaning and significance. They
can live in confidence, with boldness, with joy in suffering, with peace in the
service of others, and with a sense of expectation and hope. Knowing their end
makes all the difference; knowing their destination provides the hope they
need. (Kindle Location 3838)
Through suffering comes victory; through Christ’s death on
the cross comes resurrection. We know this in our heart of hearts to be true.
The issue becomes making this into a liturgical practice. The life of
Bonhoeffer and other martyrs should be our guide in this, for though they knew
that death may be immanent, it just made them cherish the process all the more.
It is this live like you were dying type attitude that is missing amidst so
many Christians today. It is why so many turn from faith at the first sign of
trouble. But to those that have been
called out of darkness into the light of Christ’s love know that though we walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, that He has prepared a banquet table
before me in the presence of my enemies. This is but one example of the many insights
that Belcher develops in his book.
Speaking
a bit broader about the book, it is very readable for any audience. Belcher
does an excellent job at filling in much of the background knowledge and
history needed for understanding the communicative messages of each section. The
intent of the book, while certainly educational, is much more than data
transfer, instead focusing on formation; which in many respects is the true
intent of education. We follow the Belcher family around, through all the
twists and turns of their journey. Some
parts of the journey were tough as they attempted to convey information to
their young children and homeschool as they travel. They had various spouts of
homesickness and other disagreements. But yet by the grace of God they made it
through and came out changed by the experience.
If you
would like a little pilgrimage in your life now, pick up a copy of the book
here: http://www.amazon.com/Search-Deep-Faith-Pilgrimage-Christianity-ebook/dp/B00FY2G59E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386625683&sr=8-1&keywords=jim+belcher
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