Cross Roads – Bargain Price Author: Wm. Paul Young | Language: English | ISBN:
B00E8UZF94 | Format: EPUB
Cross Roads – Bargain Price Description
Review
One of the most faith-enhancing books I have ever read. -- Bear Grylls on THE SHACK This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good! -- Eugene Peterson on THE SHACK This book is speaking loud and clear to a lot of people -- The Independent on THE SHACK Bunyanesque - bold, imaginative, humane and funny -- Church Times on THE SHACK
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Wm. Paul Young was born a Canadian and raised among a Stone Age tribe by his missionary parents in the highlands of former New Guinea. He suffered great loss as a child and young adult and now enjoys the "wastefulness of grace" with his family in the Pacific Northwest.
- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: FaithWords; 1st edition (November 13, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 145551604X
- ASIN: B00E8UZF94
- Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
CROSS ROADS...Even Better Than The Shack
Wow!
Stop reading this and go read this book!
If you need more convincing, I'll say a few words about this reading experience. Millions of people enjoyed The Shack for its fresh perspective on God's love and existence in community. I am guessing that even more people will relate to Paul Young's latest.
With incredible insight, which I suspect can only be gained through painful experience, the author takes us into the private world of Tony Spencer. Tony is a shrewd, wealthy businessman, who has ruined so many relationships that he suffers from paranoia. When a near death experience sends Tony into a coma, the story takes us quickly into his inner world. Readers follow Tony's journey into a real land where he meets Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Papa God. If Paul Young had to face critics of The Shack who took exception to God being portrayed as a black woman, it isn't going to get any better when those folks read CROSS ROADS :)
Like layers of an onion, Tony Spencer's hurts, pains, sins, and corruption are revealed to him, even as he encounters the trinity of God who is intent on bringing wholeness to him. Occasional use of strong language drives home the point i.e. Tony is told, "...you are adopted by Papa God, you are not powerful enough to change that..." p. 199
In a surprising manner, Tony is allowed and enabled to view life through the eyes of others as he is transported back and forth from our world to his own inner world. The story is easy to read and creative. It will pull some tears as well. The book does not directly take on the age old question of why bad things happen to `good' people, but we see characters dealing with Down's Syndrome, cancer, death, betrayal, addiction and the gamut of sins.
Some years ago I remember Madelene L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time, writing that she generally disliked going to Christian fiction writing conferences, because they contain so little talent and depth. As a rule I avoid the fiction section of Christian bookstores for this same reason, they feel anemic. Thus far I think there is only one exception to this rule. William Paul Young(author of The Shack) just released his second book Cross Roads and though he hasn't yet displayed the prophetic qualities of Lewis, MacDonald or Rebecca Stead(author of When You Reach Me) his writing is certainly unique among Christian authors in the US.
Young departs from most Christian fiction authors by continuing to explore race in our culture, sexism in the church, and in Cross Roads he also explores discrimination young people with Downs syndrome face. He does this with more depth then in the Shack. I think Young can see that US Christians need discipleship in these areas, but I really wish he'd go deeper into the issues. His exploration of each are only side stories to the main plot, which is dominated by an intelligent white male's struggle to grieve loss, forgive himself, and learn to give.
Young also touches on one of the greatest tragedies that US Christians face today: the fragmentation of our society and our resulting lack of community. Young offers us a story of a family created by necessity. A white woman, her daughter in the hospital with slim chances of survival and her son with Downs live with a black woman who has migrated from New Orleans after Katrina. Without each other they couldn't survive, but together they forge a way. Whether Young meant this to be a picture of what the church is supposed to be isn't clear, nevertheless he lifts it up to us an beautiful ideal.
Cross Roads – Bargain Price Preview
Link
Please Wait...