Author Jeremy Walker’s recent book, Passing Through: Pilgrim Life in the Wilderness
is indeed timely for the American church.
There was a time in America when Christianity
heavily influenced the culture. However,
those days appear to be long over, especially with the recent Supreme Court
decision legalizing gay marriage. Unfortunately, this decision will soon lead to
the erosion of religious liberty in America.
The church will eventually be persecuted and Christians marginalized. Walker does not address this issue specifically
in his book, but he writes “ The kind of honor that has been afforded to
Christian truth in much of the Western world in recent centuries is not the
norm, and we might have come to assume too much. We are probably returning to
the real historical norm of persecution, and we should be the more thankful for
our relative freedoms while we have them, remembering those who do not as if we
suffered with them (Heb. 13:3).”
In sum, Passing
Through is a biblical and practical theology for living a life that
glorifies God in a hostile world. Since many other reviewers have provided a
summary of this excellent book, I want to focus on my personal experience with
it. I found this book to be one of the
most convicting I have read in a long time.
The Lord used it to point out sinful attitudes and actions in my
life. For instance, my attitude towards
rulers and authorities has been utterly sinful.
Passing Through’s chapter
entitled Respect Authorties opened
my eyes and brought me to repentance. Another
chapter that convicted me was Relieve the Suffering. It revealed that I have been lacking
compassion and mercy. I have not been
acting like my Heavenly Father who is known for His lovingkindness. Again, I repented. It seems that every chapter confronted me
with some sin of which I need to repent. That’s not to say that Walker is
condemning. He is indeed gracious and
true to the Scriptures.
Finally, I would like to give some friendly advice about how
to read Passing Through. It’s not the
kind of book one should read at one sitting. Read it slowly and devotionally. Take time to let the biblical truth it presents penetrate
your heart. Repent where needed. Rejoice when blessed. Ask God for grace to live the pilgrim life it
presents.
