In our day and age, many people who write about their personal journeys do so either to excuse their actions, to explain why they did what they did with an eye toward gaining more understanding for their actions, or simply to show that what they did wasn't really all that wrong. There is none of this in Chad Bird's "Night Driving". Even as Chad takes the reader through his personal journey, he utilizes his story to focus on someone else's story, that of our God who reveals Himself in Jesus, the Christ, who redeems lost, broken, fallen, sinful people.
Throughout his story, Chad presents his story in a way, not to gain sympathy for himself, but to show how God can truly reach into the darkest places of our broken, sinful lives, and redeem us. His story then serves as a springboard to share so much of the message of good news in God's redemption through Jesus, and truly points to the vital role and importance of God's grace, an element of God which is sorely missing in many Christian circles today. The scandal of grace is the very point which seems to drive Chad to write his story, linking it always back to the unfathomable grace that God has shown to His people.
Personally, there are many parts of Chad's story that resonate deeply with me. As another Texas born and bred boy, I have followed some of the same steps. Study at a seminary, serving in a congregation as a pastor. I have even shared some of the goals of one day teaching and molding minds, though I came to a realization that such an outcome simply was not reasonable for me. And while they may be different, the seductive whispers to fall away resonate strongly, and cannot be ignored. I believe one powerful aspect of Chad sharing this story is to promote a much more open discussion and forum for talking about such things and looking for strength and support in them, rather than pridefully presenting ourselves as though we are unaffected.
Another aspect of Chad's book that would call for specific attention is how God's people react to those who are revealed as sinful among them. As he quotes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, it's truly saddening that we act so surprised when we realize that a true, honest to God sinner lives among us. His story shows us that the Church's reaction to fall back on the law often brings so much more harm to a soul that is already hurting and in need of grace. The need for grace to infiltrate throughout the Church, and especially when we realize that there really are darkly sinful people among us, is a loud call to which we would be wise to listen.
If you are looking for a story that will ultimately make you feel good about yourself, this is not the story for you. However, if you are looking for a story that shows that God does indeed bring redemption, even into the darkest, lowest of places, then this is the story for you. In fact, in reality this is the story of every single on of us. Few of us are bold enough to share it with anyone who would read, much less let our story point to God's great Redeemer, our Lord Jesus. For this, I cannot recommend "Night Driving" highly enough.
Throughout his story, Chad presents his story in a way, not to gain sympathy for himself, but to show how God can truly reach into the darkest places of our broken, sinful lives, and redeem us. His story then serves as a springboard to share so much of the message of good news in God's redemption through Jesus, and truly points to the vital role and importance of God's grace, an element of God which is sorely missing in many Christian circles today. The scandal of grace is the very point which seems to drive Chad to write his story, linking it always back to the unfathomable grace that God has shown to His people.
Personally, there are many parts of Chad's story that resonate deeply with me. As another Texas born and bred boy, I have followed some of the same steps. Study at a seminary, serving in a congregation as a pastor. I have even shared some of the goals of one day teaching and molding minds, though I came to a realization that such an outcome simply was not reasonable for me. And while they may be different, the seductive whispers to fall away resonate strongly, and cannot be ignored. I believe one powerful aspect of Chad sharing this story is to promote a much more open discussion and forum for talking about such things and looking for strength and support in them, rather than pridefully presenting ourselves as though we are unaffected.
Another aspect of Chad's book that would call for specific attention is how God's people react to those who are revealed as sinful among them. As he quotes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, it's truly saddening that we act so surprised when we realize that a true, honest to God sinner lives among us. His story shows us that the Church's reaction to fall back on the law often brings so much more harm to a soul that is already hurting and in need of grace. The need for grace to infiltrate throughout the Church, and especially when we realize that there really are darkly sinful people among us, is a loud call to which we would be wise to listen.
If you are looking for a story that will ultimately make you feel good about yourself, this is not the story for you. However, if you are looking for a story that shows that God does indeed bring redemption, even into the darkest, lowest of places, then this is the story for you. In fact, in reality this is the story of every single on of us. Few of us are bold enough to share it with anyone who would read, much less let our story point to God's great Redeemer, our Lord Jesus. For this, I cannot recommend "Night Driving" highly enough.
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