Book Review: What good is God?

Philip Yancey, a well known author has come out with one more book. His statement is apt to understand the approach of this book to the question: What Good Is God?: "Defenders of the Christian faith rise up with point by point rebuttals of the sceptics. As a journalist I approach such questions differently. I prefer to go out into the field and examine how faith works itself out, especially under extreme conditions." The book is indeed compilation of his speeches given in various contexts around the world.

The author addressed the community (Virginia Tech), where a student from Korea guns down 28 fellow students and five faculties and kills himself. In grief, love and pain converge. Pain reminds us that we are alive. The pain may disappear temporarily and may reappear again. Sufferings are not punishment but rather a testing ground for faith that transcends pain. The truth is: pain redeemed is better than pain removed.

The author addresses the leaders of the underground churches and Western Christians who are working in multi- national companies. The communist dream is a failure. "The New Socialist Man did not emerge in China, as it did not emerge in Russia beforehand." Chinese are great copiers, they maintain control but copy the financial systems of the West. The communists effectively eradicate venereal disease, but it came back when China opened for the West. As a society, the United States spends more money on beauty products than on education. However, many committed Westerners have become English teachers and led many young intellectuals to Christ.

The author addressed women who have been redeemed from commercial sex industry. Most of the women are from poorer nations. The author righty observes: "The sex industry presents itself as a fun transaction between adults, one in which no one gets hurt and there are no consequences. For several hours I had been hearing just the opposite. Some of the women, like Hilda, suffered physical harm. All suffered emotional harm. All felt like victims."

The author terms C.S. Lewis as the Apostle to sceptics. C.S. Lewis suggested that moderns in the post-Christian age are to pagans as a divorcee is to a virgin. Lewis was a scholar but could write at the popular level which was not appreciated by Oxford scholars. Lewis lived a simple life giving away two-thirds of the money that came in; treated his own writings and books casually; did not respond to insults; answered every personal letter and hat came to him. "Someone simply needs to climb in the chariot and explain the open scroll."

The author addresses to the students in the Bible college, which was conservative when he studied decades ago. He emphasises that the church should be open to learn from outside. The Israelities used the gold of the pagan Egyptians to construct the tabernacle. "Sometimes we must go outside the church to get nourishment – art, beauty, knowledge – which we can bring inside to appreciate fully." The Church should be the steward and guide of culture as she was once.

The author writes about South Africa and praises the effort of reconciliation initiated by Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu. "We know God's qualities justice, righteousness, compassion, mercy, grace, love. For whatever reason, God has chosen to convey those qualities on earth through human beings like us."

The author writes about the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther Jr. "It took Southern Baptists 150 years to apologize for their support of slavery, and not until November 2008 – two weeks after Obama's election-did Bob Jones University about their error in barring black students before 1971 and banning interracial dating until 2000." Moral blindness of the church is evident as in mirroring rather than shaping culture.

The Ukrainian television declared that Victor Yushchenko was defeated in the election. However on the small screen inset Natalya Dmitruk said: the deaf citizens do not believe these lies. Youshchenko is our President. Deaf people started texting the news and that led to Orange Revolution that forced another election that made Victor as president. "When I heard the story behind the Orange Revolution, the image of a small screen of truth in the corner of the big screen became for me an ideal picture of the church."

The author also addressed a gathering in Mumbai just after the terrorist attack in the city.

People may question why God is not aggressively involved in the lives of the people today. The author writes that the intervention of God in Israel did not inspire lasting faith in the children of Israel. God continues to work through ordinary people, reveals his love and power. The faith of people in adverse situations in various parts of the world like Middle East, China, India, South Africa, North America and Europe demonstrates how God is good. However, the author agrees that 'we have no sure answer and only fleeting glimpses of God's ultimate plan.' Ordinary people spread the fragrance of hope and transformation.