Joy and Sorrow

This is taken from a chapter in The Prophet by philosopher Khalil Gibran. It strikes such a chord with me because I have talked more than once about my own joy and sorrow living side by side and what a mystery that is to me.

Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the self-same well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

Book Review: I'm OK -- You're Not: The Message We're Sending Nonbelievers and Why We Should Stop

I have had so many great thoughts pop into my mind the past several nights in a row after reading another section of this book. But now as I sit in front of the computer, they all seem to slip away! I'm still going to give it my best, and hopefully I will end up sounding just as witty as (I thought) I did in my head.

I have had my own moments of saying all the wrong things to non-Christians, some close friends, some acquaintances -- some even complete strangers. I don't doubt some of you have done the same, and maybe even, like myself, cringe when you look back on those times. What are we doing wrong? What can we do differently? What do non-Christians really think of Christians these days?

Author John Shore does an excellent job of answering all of these questions. Again, as in my previous book review, I find there are some comments/views that the author gives with which I am not in full agreement. But on the whole, I feel that every single Christian should read this book and really pay attention to what is going on in our world. Or to put it more plainly, to what we have been saying and doing to alienate those in our world.

First, the main point the author is making is that, while The Great Commission ('go out into all the world and preach the gospel...') is so very, very important, it seems that Christians have climbed on board to that way of thinking so passionately that we have sometimes forgotten The Great Commandment -- 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' Shore makes a strong argument for really getting to know people, and love them just as they are, rather than letting them know how we think they need to be living their lives.

Second, this guy is just plain funny. I know there are many different sorts of humor, but I feel that Shore's wittiness and sometimes self-deprecation would connect with just about everybody. I don't do this often, but I actually found myself laughing out loud at most of the book -- in the doctor's office, no less! Chapter titles such as 'How Dare They Leave When We're Offending Them' and 'So Being Born Again Isn't the Same as Being Mature?' caught me in a way that I knew I wanted to keep reading (that and the fact that I agreed to review this book).

Third, I'm OK -- You're Not isn't all about the laughs. There is plenty of humor, to be sure, but I feel that in order to not get too upset about damage we may have done there is kind of a need to approach the subject in a bit of a joking way. Shore is smart enough to realize that it probably isn't the best idea to preach at people about how they've been preaching at other people too much. It also seems that, after reading what the author shared about his very tragic childhood, that humor is a huge way in which he has learned to cope with some aspects of his life. That alone connected very strongly with me, because Casey and I have used laughter a lot to get through the entire past year.

My very favorite part of this book came at the end of every chapter. I truly looked forward to it, even though it is so raw and sometimes so very difficult to read. Shore titled these sections appropriately 'Ouch' because they are a collection of quotes from non-Christians sharing how they feel about Christians, or what their experiences have been with Christians. These were obtained by the author through Craigslist. A brilliant idea, but wow...there are some harsh things. Nevertheless, I think they need to be heard, and so I applaud Mr. Shore for being so innovative in getting those quotes.

Overall, I'm OK -- You're Not has been an awesome read for me. Before I had even finished the first chapter, I was telling Casey that this would be a great book to use in the campus ministry. It is just so relevant and I know that the humor would really draw students in and connect with them as it did with me.

A big thank you to John Shore for allowing me to review his book on my humble little blog!