Silence

This was on my Back to the Classics List last year but I didn't get to it. I chose Dante instead and I can't really feel bad about that but I am glad I did get to this. In fact, this came at just the right time for me.

It's not at all my normal type of book. I always hear people say "Oh, it was agonizing and heart-wrentching and I loved it" and all I can think of is "Ugh, why?!" Telling the story of a Portugeuse Jesuit priest who responds to the news of his former mentor apostasizing in Japan by going there himself to minister to the Japanese and face temptation himself, Silence is agonizing and heart-wrenching and I loved it! I told Craig he should watch the movie. I know I can't though!

So if you are looking for a well written, thought provoking book that makes you wrestle with hard ideas, I'd definitely recommend it!

(Spoilers ahead as I brain dump my thoughts on the book. You have been warned)

Besides being just the right timing for me for some personal reasons, it was also good timing as far as themes and other things I've been thinking about. I'm leading our youth Sunday School through James this year. We're taking the slow and steady approach but thinking about James and the idea of trials and growth and the connection between faith and actions really worked with this book. And then while I was reading this, a friend was reading Kristin Lavrasdattar and while in many ways, those books are completely opposite, thinking of my response to that book was surprisingly relevant to my response to this one and my mind has spent the last few weeks pondering those ideas.

Faith and the life of a follower of Christ - is it about how I live my life in obedience to Him and follow Him? Well, yes, and no.

Of course, ideally yes. As a Christian, I know that placed in unspeakable hard circumstances, I would want to respond like Corrie Ten Boom or Deitrich Bonhoeffer. I know they're admirable. I'd want my actions to be a mirror pointing those around to me Christ because they know I could only do what I am doing through His power.

But also no, its not about my response to God but His towards me. Because would I really respond that way? Can I know? And how should we feel about those that aren't capable of that, those with a weak faith but still faith.

There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still - Corrie Ten Boom

I'm a black and white thinker. I know exactly what I think Father Rodrigues should have done. And he didn't do it. But does that mean I think he didn't have faith? Shusako Endo sets the story up so perfectly having us judge certain people and their actions as the story progresses. But he ends up with, at least in my case, I feel like I'm right there with them making those poor decisions - and then feeling the joy that comes with knowing that doesn't mean my relationship with God is over just as I don't believe Rodrigues is over either.   Rodrigues failed God in that moment but I think the point  is more that God didn't fail him. Now the ending is sorta left open so those are all based on my view of the ending. But have you read it? Care to share your thoughts?

Silence in my Back to the Classics Challenge Classic in Translation Selection.

It will also count as my Foreign/Non-Western Book for the Lit Life 20 for 2020 Challenge and a novel for the Schole 5x5 challenge.