Book Review

Remember when I mentioned that I was reading this book? Well, today I finished the book and have a few thoughts to share.

First of all, in case you missed the first post, the book is called Following Jesus Through the Eye of the Needle and is written by Kent Annan, a Princeton grad with a degree in theology who now works with the organization Beyond Borders.

The book details Kent and his wife Shelly's experience while living in Haiti. Kent & Shelly moved to the country with Beyond Borders and were immediately thrust full force into the true Haitian life (well, as true of a Haitian life as you can have when you're not a native). They lived with a local family for several months in a two room home while they learned the language and customs of the Haitian people. After some time, they developed relationships with locals who then were employed by Kent & Shelly to build a home. The book consists primarily of the daily adventures they encountered while living with the Haitian family and while building their home.

I love learning about other cultures and found his description of his time there to be very interesting. Kent tells of the struggles that they faced as "ban" or "white" people and also of the daily trials of the Haitian people during a time of great political unrest. Throughout the book Kent mentions his desire for the people to one day see true prosperity. He quotes this verse from Jeremiah 32:15: " [f]or this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land."

I support Kent in his desire for the people of Haiti to one day not experience the immense physical suffering that they constantly do today. The country has a physical need that is so great that many Americans can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to live there.

Kent and I diverge on the step that happens after that desire. Let me share this quote from pg. 126 of the book.

"First, I'm doing work with Haitian colleagues that I believe is good and siding with people who need more people on their side. Second, there's something about the desperation of life here that resonates with how desperate life itself really, actually is. On the surface, an American suburb is a place where life is orderly, manicured, manageable. Here, the surface is raw and needy and clawing. There is some reassurance in living where the exterior life, with all its ragged desperation - and glimpses of beauty and faith and spontaneous dancing - resonates more with the interior experience of being human."

At no point in his book does Kent mention that they answer to the desperation of the Haitian people is the gospel. If the gospel is a driving force in you life, I do not see how you can write a book and never mention that it is the only hope worth living for.

One of the first times that Jesus is mentioned results in the idea of a works-based righteousness apart from faith in Christ.
"If Jesus correctly predicted that the meek will inherit the earth, then expect Pouchon [a boy hired by Kent to help carry water to their home in exchange for the boy's schooling] to someday have vast holdings spanning rivers and valleys, mountains and plains. If fortunate, I'll get to work in his fields." - pg 128.

Even though I have not lived in Haiti for any period of time, I have experienced the difficulty of telling someone in dire physical need that their greatest need is not the food they have been without for so long, but Christ. This vast physical need is not an excuse to not share the gospel, just as sharing the gospel is not an excuse to not meet physical needs. Both must be met. We meet physical needs because the gospel compels us to do so, not because of pity or of a desire to bring prosperity.

It seems that Kent's goals and desires have pure motives; but, if he really wants to bring justice, restoration and hope to Haiti, why not proclaim the One who is the author of these things? Kent mentions prayers and various verses at times that allow the reader to know that he identifies himself as a Christian; however, if the gospel is living and active in his life, then why is it not mentioned as a means of great hope to the Haitian people? At times it seems that his desire is that the country would only be free from struggles and know prosperity but not know the sufficiency of Christ.

In summary, I support Kent's goal of wanting the Haitian people to have a life free of constant pain and suffering; however, this goal is the same of many well-intentioned non-believers around the world. As followers of Christ, we are commanded to provide the gospel as the hope and salvation to everyone who will believe.