Christian literature has a problem with suffering. We don’t like it. Suffering is contrary to a hybrid Americanized gospel that revolves around the blessings of hard work, and the reward that ultimately follows. Some (distasteful) strains of Christian faith even preach that God wants his people to be healthy and wealthy, and to be otherwise is a sign of personal failure. The apostle Paul preached a warning about following “other gospels” and I think these populist ideas qualify, but I digress. As a result of our aversion to personal trials, seculars and sacreds alike attempt to build lives from behind which we attempt to banish suffering.
Jeff is a rare writer who dares threaten the golden calf, and suggests that suffering is an integral part of real Christian living. Getting “Wrecked” is his synonym for what happens when suffering (your own or other’s) bumps into your life in a way that can no longer be avoided or ignored. I love his story about Telly the Tortoise, featured wrong side up on the cover of the book. You can find it here, http://wreckedthebook.com/tortoise/ . If like me you’re not a fan of book introductions and forwards, Telly will connect you to the heart of the book. We all need to be like Telly.
Wrecked is a must read for comfortable Christians wondering why they aren’t more connected to their faith, and for the uncomfortable who need encouragement to do more. When I have a pain in my foot, joint or hand, it’s a sign that I should see the doctor. Pain is a blessing, a physical messenger that something may be wrong in my body, and ignoring it can lead to deeper problems. Getting “Wrecked” is a sign that something may be missing in my spiritual life, a sign that I need to seek the Great Physician in a new light.
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