DarjeelinGirl

Shortly after becoming a Christian in college, I experienced a relational upset that hurled me into the darkest, longest depression I’ve ever known. The sadness was so deep and continuous that I specifically remember the day that the “sun came out” in my soul again.

Ten years later, I nearly lost my first born to meconium aspiration. He spent his first 10 days in NICU with a collapsed lung. I can hardly explain the terror I felt as death licked it’s lips over my newborn.

In 2000, I faced my greatest nightmare: divorce. I was a good American Christian. THAT was never supposed to happen. Since then, my awareness of my daily need for His incarnational presence has finally been paramount. Of course that also means that life is challenging, and I’m usually exhausted.

Therefore, when I read Brokenness: How God Redeems Pain and Suffering by Lon Solomon, I soaked up every word as a drink of cool water for my soul. It was encouraging and easy to enjoy - like a visit from an old familiar friend.

There is a popular theology that claims that God only allows bad things to happen, but they are not really His fault or idea to begin with. I have fallen under that reasoning myself. But Solomon explains that tragedy and hardship are God’s method of bringing brokenness into His people’s lives. Brokenness serves a divine, glorious, beautiful and fulfilling purpose that would never be achieved otherwise.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the beginning of the book:

In my opinion, this entire [popular] theological understanding of how Almighty God relates to our tragedies, sorrows and setbacks is biblically bogus.

God allowing something and God sending something are identical.

…there is a high and exalted purpose that explains why God allows heartaches, failures, troubles, and afflictions to enter the lives of godly men and women.

This exalted purpose has nothing to do with consequences for negative behavior or discipline for sin our lives…

Ours is a method-oriented world. We Westerners are masters at packaging and exporting methods…

We Christ-followers are fanatics, it seems, over successful methods. Let any church or Christian organization carry out something successful in virtually any area of ministry and watch what happens…

…it occurred to me that nowhere in the Word of God does it say that God anoints a method with his Spirit. God anoints men and women.

Brokenness is not an optional experience for the person who desires God to use them in a mighty way… brokenness has been a critical part of the spiritual preparation process for every man and woman whose life God has ever used.

I often tell people that although I wouldn’t wish the trauma of divorce on anyone, I won’t give back what I’ve gained. Solomon affirmed that sentiment when he says of his own journey,

I’d never want to endure it again, but I’m honestly glad God put me through it. The release of his Spirit in my life was well worth it.

I recommend Brokenness for anyone who is going or has gone through a difficult time. It would make a genuine, loving gift for a friend who finds himself, as Solomon puts it, “on the backside of the desert”. Each chapter is short enough to read in just a few minutes. There are discussion questions at the end of each for use in small groups or just deeper personal reflection. Brokenness would make a good focus for a small group - there’s nothing like supportive prayer and honest relationship when you’re going through a hard time.

Finally, Brokenness by Lon Solomon reminds us - rather teaches us Americans - that “God is out to break every one of us.” But it’s not out of anger or judgment.

Brokenness is not a curse. It is a blessing that every follower of Christ needs desperately. Perhaps the fact that it is so seldom spoken of…helps explain why our modern brand of Chrisitanity is so insipid and powerless.

Perhaps, indeed.

Note: This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher through Mind and Media for the purpose of this review.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 11th, 2006 at 12:01 am and is filed under general. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.