CALLED TO COMMUNITY – The Life Jesus Wants for His People

“Called To Community : The Life Jesus Wants For His People,” edited by Charles Moore, is the perfect answer to all the loneliness in the world, in an age of hi-tech internet connectivity, when individual lives are sadly even more isolated and fragmented than ever before. The answer lies in the hearts of God’s people who respond wholeheartedly to Christ’s call to share their lives more fully with others, discovering the rich, meaningful life that Jesus gives everyone, restoring the Church to its original calling: to be a united Christian community. The selections in this book are by pioneers in community life, who have nurtured a Christian community through a sustained period of time. I highly recommend this deeply inspiring book to all people who aspire to live meaningful lives, reaching out to others with the life-transforming love of Christ.

TEARS OF GOLD – Hannah Rose Thomas

“Portraits of Yazidi, Rohingya, and Nigerian Women” by Hannah Rose Thomas is a profound tribute to highlight the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities around the world, whose sufferings remain largely unseen, unknown and unheard of. Hannah showcases their horrifying stories in her poignant artwork for the whole world to see. Her paintings serve to alleviate the soul-scarring trauma of the most vulnerable, marginalised people worldwide by lifting them above their sufferings. In her paintings, Hannah vividly captures the stoic courage, true nobility, serene dignity, remarkable resilience and extraordinary compassion of these women who have suffered so heartbreakingly.

A remarkable painter of exceptional artistic skills, Hannah is a true storyteller extraordinaire. “Tears of Gold” simultaneously testifies to the excruciating sufferings of fellow beings while restoring the sufferer’s humanity and self-esteem. A pervading sense of peace, a quiet, serene strength is seen in Hannah’s portraits. Her golden halos reflects the individual acts of resurrection. The portraits of the survivors represent a new beginning again on an altered scale.

The self-portraits enables victims of atrocities to process traumatic memories to heal and reclaim their own voices and inherent dignity. Hannah taught the women how to paint their self-portraits to share their stories with the world. Some women painted themselves with tears of gold, inspiring the title of this one-of-a-kind, life-transforming book, for here are the self-effacing faces and extremely traumatic stories of extraordinary women of great self-worth, who take the world by storm because of their sacrifices.

Miriam Jacob

THE INCONVENIENT GOSPEL – Clarence Jordan

“The Inconvenient Gospel” is a selection of the talks and writings of Clarence Jordan, a farmer, preacher, and Bible scholar, who founded Koinonia Farm, a pacifist interracial Christian community in Georgia, USA. It consisted of 440 depleted acres, where Christians of different races pooled land and money to create “a demonstration plot for the kingdom of God. Like the first century Christians, they shared everything they possessed, working together to rejuvenate the soil and revive the local economy. In doing so, they demonstrated racial and social justice with their lives.

Clarence Jordan spoke with a crystal-clear prophetic voice. He was unwavering and relentless in his pursuit of God. He unequivocally rejected materialism, militarism, and racism as obstacles to the authentic faith of Jesus Christ. He fearlessly believed that greater change can happen in this world by living an authentic Christian life. Clarence Jordan bravely lived out the Gospel that he so fearlessly preached with exemplary courage and a highly contagious sense of humor.

I am deeply honored to review “The Inconvenient Gospel” by Clarence Jordan. He did not hesitate to embrace Christ’s suffering, at any cost. As part of a community of Christ in this world, it helps us to see our own unique place in history. The vision of Clarence Jordan will survive for eternity. I am grateful to God that such a man lived and left such an enduring legacy for others to follow in his daring footsteps.

Clarence Jordan embodied the cross and walked the talk. His bold experiment in nonviolence, economic justice, and sustainable agriculture was deeply rooted in his understanding of the Person and teachings of Jesus. “You can’t put Christianity into practice,” Clarence Jordan wrote, “Christianity is not a philosophy of life to be ‘tried.’ Christianity is not a system you work – it is a Person who works you.”

I highly recommend this deeply inspiring book to teach Clarence Jordan’s radically biblical vision to a new generation of peacemakers, community builders, and social activists. United as one in Christ, we can strive to make a difference in this world in which we live. Let us not underestimate the powerful fact that “one with Christ is a majority.”

BREAKING GROUND – Anne Snyder and Susannah Black

“Breaking Ground” by Anne Synder and Susannah Black is true to its name. Its founding vision is highly significant in these deeply disoriented times, when life’s familiar rhythms fade away into a future of bleak oblivion. Change of such immense scope and magnitude has created a spectrum of moral opportunity in every society with a dynamic ecosystem of thinkers with the wisdom to discern it and the humility to accept it, and doers with the courage and determination to do something about it productively. This is an urgent clarion call for the fragmented body of Christ to unite together in humility and selfless service to humanity. The Church with all her scars, made resilient by long-standing struggle, is called to lead in service, sacrifice and solidarity. Particularly insightful moral leadership is the urgent need of the hour, in these extremely distressing times. Although the pandemic is a layered crisis that unfolds in stages, it also provides opportunities for brand new beginnings from the ashes of the past.
Even in these extremely difficult times, hope is born anew in our hearts. God’s people are called to do whatever they can to help humankind rebuild themselves in their respective communities. A creative lens shines upon Christian social thought to illuminate it and provide inspiration to the world at large. As Christians filled with Christ’s love, let us orient our hope and direct our steps into a founding vision for the future, by selflessly seeking and striving to imbue weary people with fresh hope, to  renew the world in an age of crisis. In the scary face of the pandemic and all its myriad consequences, layers of life as we knew it earlier, have been painfully peeled away, to reveal frightening landscapes. This is the staggering reality of the world today. Faith, hope and love overpowers despair, even in the pandemic. We have a moral call, a selfless duty to live in honest fellowship with our fellow human beings, by seeking to live in justice and equity. Be seeing eyes and listening ears to people around you. Bear their burdens in love. Do the little you can to alleviate the distress of people. Even one drop of rain in the ocean makes a huge difference. Never underestimate your God-given power to do good to the world around you.
Share true communion with each other in your hearts, even in social distancing. There is always a way to reach out to others in distress, to shine your light into their dark corner. We are an integral part of each other’s lives, a social community of all the communities in this world. “No man is an island.” We need to give a wise response to these unprecedented times. We must take responsibility for this moment, to be a blessing to others. “Breaking Ground” does exactly that, in its own way. I highly recommend this groundbreaking book to all readers who wish to reach out a helping hand of fellowship to others and make an impact in today’s pandemic world. 

Miriam Jacob

WITH OR WITHOUT ME – Esther Maria Magnis

“With or Without Me” by Esther Maria Magnis is an unsparingly eloquent critique of religion, the tortuous start of a deep personal journey towards unconditional faith in God, punctuated at every turn by heart-wrenching personal losses. Esther dares to believe in God, despite her own persistent questions that demand answers. She bravely dares to launch out on her own, battling all odds. Esther refuses to believe that there must always be clear-cut answers to the baffling questions of life. She boldly declares how extremely disastrous and catastrophic it is to not believe in God. Esther describes how she experienced the fundamental reality of God in such a concrete, dense, intense way, and the exhilarating sense of redemption that came along with it. Her own faith is deeply strengthened through the beautiful, enlightening faith of her brother, Johannes. This is an illuminating book that makes one think about the utmost importance of believing in God. It is either God or nothing, in a world that defies God at every turn.