Read “Jesus Land”
This is a memoir of a little girl’s family that adopted two little black boys. The story is disturbing about the hatred and racism that she encountered as well as her two brothers. People were cruel to black people in the late seventies and early eighties in these small little towns in the north as well as the south. This story is set in Illinois. The family was highly religious as the mother spent most of her extra time corresponding with missionaries and her father was a doctor. The father was abusive to the little boys while he was merciful to his girl. But when the boys left home, one ran away and the other was sent away, his angry and wrath turned on Julia. The book recounts the time that her and her brother David spent months at a Christian reform camp. The book was painful for me to read. People hate with gladness. There is a big difference between being a Christian in action and appearance and being a Christian in heart. This book makes you sad at how people treat one another, how Christians treat one another, and how love of one another is the strongest bond in life. This book is a page turner, in the sense of hoping for a better result, a happy ending. The book ends, but you are left to provide happiness in your own life. You will watch how you treat people, that is where the happiness is in the book.
Related posts:
- Read “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes”
- Read “Turning to Jesus”
- Read “Deer Hunting with Jesus”
- Review of “The Land Stand”
- Review of “Why Jesus”
About The Author
Thanks for the reminder that the heart of Christianity is expressed in how we treat other people.
The book really reminded me of the know for love and gentleness for all people.
I remember when I was a little boy growing up at Waynesboro there was one old black gentleman who was a member of the church. He came to came to our services and was insulted some “brother” objected because he had to serve communion to a black man. The black brother never returned to services. There is a bright spot though. The black brother fell ill not too long after that. This was in the day before nursing homes and lots of government programs and there was an elder and his wife from Waynesboro who ministered to this man until he died. Remember I grew up in the days of segregation there was much racism in the church but there were also those few bright indications of Christianity.