A friend of mine told me about this book and let me borrow her copy. I've had it for a while, but have been so busy with packing, sorting, etc that I hadn't started to read it yet.
I read it yesterday. Yes, yesterday. One day. We've been working on moving and had to run a few errands yesterday. Since everybody was going along, I took the book with me. I was glad I did because the day ended up being completely shot as far as accomplishing any packing. Well, I did get 2.5 boxes packed, but...whatever.
Back to the book. I loved it. St. Fracis of Assisi has become one of my favorite Christians. Actually, many of the Saints have lately, but that's an aside. This story is (fictional) about an evangelical preacher, Pastor Chase, who has grown a church in a rich area of Connecticut into a megachurch. He, however, has a crisis of faith, kind of in front of the whole church, and is asked to step back for a while. This is his pilgrimage journey.
He goes to stay with his uncle Kenny, who became a Franciscan friar after his pregnant wife and unborn child were killed in a plane crash, and is taken on quite the journey with them. He learns much about St. Francis, his way of life, his best friend St. Clare (the passages about their relationship - solely a friendship - were beautiful), and many other things. Chase learns about the beauty of the Catholic faith, which is something I've been doing myself lately.
His journey is something everyone could use a chance to read. He meets a woman named Cara on the way with whom he has an instant connection. His friend Maggie, the one person who really stood by him after the church crisis comes to Italy. (Her side story is heartbreakingly beautiful.) There are many nuggets of wisdom carried within this book. There's parts about being authentic (this part ht me over the head), about how art and music are ways to preach the gospel and almost like speaking in tongues (interesting way to think about it), about how life should be a poem, about how you must have peace within yourself and you create your own biggest problems, about how "good boys" don't make waves and don't disappoint people (but it's ok to disappoint people if you are following your heart). There was just so much good stuff in here.
Ultimately, Chase returns home, and has to come up with a plan to present to the church elders about the path he wants to take the church down. There's a little side story about a conniving youth pastor, but it's pretty small. Anyway, you'll have to read the book to find out that outcome.
Overall, it was fantastic and I think just the read I needed right now.
As a side note: the author is an Episcopalian priest who's goal is to have his writings draw people into deeper conversations with God. He accomplished that. What I really appreciate about this book though, is he didn't have to slam the Catholic faith to do it. In fact, based on my current knowledge, I think he actually did a really good job representing it. That's something Protestants seem to have a hard time with....
256 pages
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