“Public policy can help, but there is no government that can fix these problems for us.”
I cannot agree more with J.D. Vance’s statement here. In this memoir, he describes a web of personal, cultural, and spiritual problems that are so interconnected and tangled that there are no easy solutions.
J.D. Vance, our soon-to-be Vice President, grew up with a bunch of lunatic hillbillies and dysfunction upon dysfunction. A snapshot: Substance-abusing mom, revolving door of “dads,” constant uncertainty and conflict in the home, no special talents or intelligence to distinguish him. How did he rise above that to become a U.S. Marine and Yale Law School grad—and eventually the second-in-command of the most powerful nation on earth?
If we can simply take J.D. Vance’s experience and replicate it through government policies and laws, then everyone, no matter their situation, should be able to achieve what he did, right?
Of course not! I love that, instead of writing a political book, Vance decided instead to write a memoir, describing what it was like to grow up the way he did. He says again and again that, while he’s not skeptical of public policy, it wasn’t anything the government did that tipped the scales in his favor. It was the people in his life. He describes in the last chapter of the book how close he came to falling through the cracks. If just one family member, teacher, coach, or friend didn’t intervene for him at a critical point in life, he could’ve easily changed trajectory for the worse.
I believe the problems we face are spiritual at the root.
I have a Rich Mullins CD with one of those hidden tracks at the end. This track is at least an hour long, and it’s filled with snippets of Rich’s commentary during concerts and such. In one of them, he says something like this: You know, the scary thing about God is that he didn’t make a Plan B. He created the church, and he gave us a job, and if we don’t do it, there’s no Plan B. The church is the only thing that can make a real difference in this world. The government can’t do it, so stop trusting in the government. Educational systems can’t do it, so stop trusting in educational systems. God formed the church, and it’s our job.
I’m butchering it, but it resonates now more than ever.
Meet a couple of spinsters who will change your life forever and ever amen.
“Can I weep openly right now?” That’s the question I had to ask myself every time before pressing play on this audiobook. I shed many a tear into my family’s dinner as I was cooking it, into the pavement around my neighborhood as I walked, onto my clean laundry as I was folding it.
It’s been 10 years since my last reading of The Hiding Place, so I was due.
First and foremost, this book is a testament to the power of God, and it’s also a tribute to Corrie’s sister, Betsy, and her faith. This time around, I was struck by how many times Corrie described Betsy as an otherworldly being. “Who is this sister of mine?” When she prayed for her enemies, thanked God for fleas. I think this is what it means to be a new person in Christ, to have a new heart. It’s something that the unbelieving spirit of the world cannot comprehend.
Indeed, this book does not diminish the power of God. Every step of the way, Corrie demonstrates with evidence (tangible and intangible) how God gave them everything they needed to do everything He asked of them. Many times, they didn’t see His hand until after undergoing a test of faith, and only afterward did they realize He’d been at work.
I love everything about this story, and I think everyone should read it. It’s a WW2 memoir that is almost never a downer…ever! It’s edifying and uplifting while also not shying away from the horrors and atrocities.
I’m amazed by how readable and riveting the writing is.
What if you exchanged a life of freedom for one of complete bondage?
This account was devastating to read. I can’t imagine how devastating it was to live through.
The atrocities that the North Korean government committed against its people are horrific. (And it’s still happening.) Masaji had a unique perspective because he spent his childhood in Japan, so when his family moved to North Korea when he was 13, he completely understood what they’d left behind…the “other” world that was “out there.” I can only imagine how those memories tortured him (and his family).
This book shows where communism leads…eventually. It’s bad.
I will say that this account is very sad, front to back. I wish that it ended on a happier note, but it ends on an honest one. If you’re hoping for a soaring tale of hope, this isn’t it.
