I can't really say that I have ever read a book quite like this one. In Search of Deep Faith is a spiritual biography, a well-told glimpse into the great heritage of Christian faith, travelogue and narrative account all at the same time. Jim Belcher tells the story of a faith pilgrimage that began for him and his family at a time when he was, by his own admission, tired. After 10 years of planting, growing and leading Redeemer Church in Newport Beach, California he said, "I was exhausted. I wasn't burned out or washed out of struggling with my faith. I wasn't bitter or angry or trying to run away. I wasn't at a crisis point or lost or in need of direction...I was simply worn out, depleted...I needed time away, to rest and to contemplate." He realized that a two-month sabbatical probably would not be enough. He needed a furlough, a year to recharge. Since that would not be a practical proposition for the church, so Belcher stepped aside from his church leadership and he and his family started a year-long adventure of discovery and renewal.
As I was reading, I was struck by the realization that the life-changing aspect of this pilgrimage actually began when Belcher severed ties with the security of his current ministry. He was launching out without a familiar destination to which he would return. The journey became its own destination. That was a powerful image for me.
Throughout the family pilgrimage that began in England and then moved through France and into Holland, Poland, Germany and Austria, the Belcher family followed a path that was established by people who had been influential in Jim's life. In this book Belcher offers a historical glimpse of the likes of Thomas Cranmer, Sheldon Vanauken, Robert Louis Stevenson, C.S. Lewis, William Wilberforce, Vincent van Gogh, Andre` Trocme`, Corrie Ten Boom, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Maria von Trapp. He takes us to Oxford, London, Paris, Provence, Auvers, Le Chambon, Haarlem, Ravensbruck, Berlin, Buchenwald, Flossenburg, Berchtesgarden, Salzburg, Heidelburg and Normandy. This is a collection of interesting people and interesting places, but it is the way the story unfolds that makes this book what it is.
In the telling of his story and the story of his family, Belcher alternates between historical vignettes and present-day experiences. He tells the stories about what happened historically in the different places they visited and he reminds us of the life and legacy of those whom he has considered mentors in his Christian pilgrimage. He also talks about how the family's encounter with the faith, the struggles, the triumphs and the tragedies of all the people listed above began to shape their own faith and their own personalities. What emerges is a true pilgrimage of faith that invites the reader to join along.
I must confess that my linear chronological thinking was initially challenged when the book moves from Thomas Cranmer forward to Sheldon Vanauken, then back to Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and once again forward to C.S. Lewis before going back to William Wilberforce...and so on. I wanted the stories to unfold in chronological order but as the spiritual pilgrimage began to unfold I was immersed in a path that is marked spiritually, not chronologically. It begins with a look at our spiritual roots, moves on to a consideration of beauty and then goodness. The culmination of the journey overlooking the cliffs of Normandy is a fitting climax, for there we see how goodness and even beauty can emerge from unspeakable suffering.
In Search of Deep Faith challenged me to examine the roots, the nature and the steadfastness of my own faith. I heartily recommend this book. The writing is engaging and the message is powerful. As the story concludes, Belcher borrows an image from the closing scene of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, as the brave mouse Reepicheep is leaving Narnia to go live in Aslan's territory... "We had gone, like so many pilgrims before us, to "Narnia" to get to know God better. We had gone on this pilgrimage to encounter him in new ways, and we had. We had hoped this adventure would help us desire him and his kingdom more, and it did. We had sought, on this quest, to be shaped by our roots, our journey and our destination, and we had been. But now it was over. And as sad as we were to leave, it was time to go home to our own country. And there we would get to know him even better." This sentiment is similar to my feelings as I read the last page.
No comments:
Post a Comment