Book Jacket
I have been a Christian for most of my life. But there are times--an uncomfortable frequency of times, to be honest--when I'm not entirely sure I believe in God. There. I said it.
From this unconventional profession of faith, Jason Boyett sets off on a journey down a sometimes painful, often hilarious, always honest road of inquisition, searching for a God who occasionally seems to disappear.
An earnest seeker who clings to faith even as he explores the hiddenness of God, Boyett asks uncomfortable questions--the questions many of us have but dare not say aloud. His willingness to ask these questions have made him immune to over-spiritualized church talk, suspicious of public prayers, and annoyed by too-certain believers who seem to get "personal promptings from Jesus and detailed directions about even the most trivial aspects of their lives." (Boyett has his doubts.)
Written for doubters by a doubter, this is not a tidy, five-step solution for fixing spiritual uncertainty. Nor is it a cynical, anti-religious rant. Instead, it's a hopeful and confessional exploration of the relationship between faith and doubt. It's a book loaded with grace, encouragement, humor, and--for what it's worth--an inordinate number of references to turtles and French daredevils.
Review
This book. This book! I think it was written specifically for me. There are many things about the Christian experience that I don't understand. Why do some people seem to hear from God every day? How can I figure out, without a doubt, what God wants me to do with my life? Why does the Bible seem to contradict itself in places? Does God really care about me personally? And what if this whole thing we call religion just a sociocultural fabrication?
It's nice to know I'm not the only one with doubts. I have long wanted the Christian community to open up and be honest, both with each other and with the world outside our church walls. I think honesty, even when laced with doubt, is far more appealing than a self-confidant superiority. Boyett's book is incredibly authentic, and his commitment to be competely honest draws the reader into his thoughts, struggles, and joys.
Because even though he doesn't find all his answers--and really, can we ever? Can an infinite God ever truly be known by His finite creations? I for one hope He can't. But despite a lifetime of doubts, Boyett also has something that makes him persevere through them all--hope. The hope that God is real, that He sent His Son to love us and save us, and that there is an eternity of joy waiting for those who trust in Him....that is worth working through any number of doubts.
Five out of five stacks of turtles.
Release Date: April 2010
Reading Level: Grade 7+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: Not currently part of Dunlap's collection.
Don't believe me? Check out these reviews of O Me of Little Faith:
Unorthodoxy
Compulsive Overreader
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