A couple weeks ago, I was pleased to find myself with a free hour to read. With eagerness I fixed myself a snack, went to my room, turned on some peotic music, fluffed a few pillows and settled in. Then I opened my new copy of The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun.
I had heard that this was a good book. In fact, I had heard it was life changing. But I wasn't sure--"good book" is a broad term, and I've read quite a few of them.
The Heavenly Man goes above and beyond "good". Within three pages of the first chapter, my snack had suddenly turned to an old bowl of rice. Instead of my cozy bedroom, I was in a village in China. My pretty music no longer played, but I heard the screams of the beating that the Chinese Christians endured for their faith. I didn't lean against some fluffy pillows, but instead I felt the cold floor of a tiny prison cell, packed with one hundred people.
Brother Yun's story does more than inspire you. He doesn't make you feel sorry for his family and their circumstances. Instead, the Brother Yun's story is an example of a modern-day Paul. A modern-day Stephen, a modern-day Peter. He shows us that these lifestyles weren't just meant for the early church. They were meant to be lived by us.
We are meant to live a radical, poured out life for Jesus Christ. Yet so few do. But Brother Yun--he shows how to answer the call!
When it comes to crying while reading a book, I don't very often. I cried at the age of ten when I read Black Beauty. I stayed up late one summer night reading that one. The last few pages of Gone With the Wind made me cry--not because of Scarlet's fate, but because I had spent a month reading a book that had a terrible ending! L.M. Montgomery's always caused at least a few tears during the early teen years. (Oh, brother!)
However, more than once I found myself crying when I read about Brother Yun. His story is simply too incredible not too, his words too resounding and his experiences too amazing. If you're in the mood for some heart surgery, then I suggest The Heavenly Man.
Follow the call, dear friends--serve for the sake of Christ!
No comments:
Post a Comment