Where The Light Fell| A Book Review
I just finished reading Philip Yancey’s latest book, his memoir, “Where The Light Fell”. I need to give a lot of background for this book. The first woman who introduced me to Philip Yancey was a young single mother who was no longer staying with her daughter, she had given birth to her daughter at a young age despite the disapproval of her family and the fact that her husband ran away from her. The second person I talked about Philip Yancey with was a man in middle age who had to watch his parents divorce and grow up in an abusive house where his father was a drunkard. The third person was a divorcee who had been a strict fundamentalist.
Do you know what’s strange? Today, I can use two words to describe each of these people “lovely” and “kind”. They are some of the kindest people I’ve ever known. Their story has become a tool for pouring love into the world. All of them were grateful to Philip Yancey for introducing them to the grace that is abundant in the word of God. It turns out Philip Yancey has almost the same story as them. It is true that God often uses pain to help us learn a truth we would not have learned in any other way.
Because I have read nearly all of Philip Yancey’s previous books, the moment I saw this memoir, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed. More than anything, it showed how the man came to know and write the things he write. Philip grew up in a fundamentalist and racist society. His church was the place that sang about grace, but never showed it. He went to a bible school that was anything but loving. His mother was the widow of a preacher. Immediately after their father’s death, his mother made a vow to God that her sons will become missionaries. Both of them promise to be when they were kids. But things began to change as they grew up. This is the central part of Philip’s narrative. His tumultuous family history. In the end, mother and sons are estranged that seems beyond repair, and sadly, Philip does not end the book with a family reunited. For many of us, that is our story- tumultuous families. We have to live in families that are not as ideal as we would want. What does God expect of us? To live with grace. Because we have experienced Grace, we should extend the same grace to others.
Philip’s writings are all an extension of his life, a life that has experienced the Grace of God. It is no surprise that he writes eloquently, piercingly, and humbly about such a topic.
I now understand the man behind the writing. It is my recommendation that every Christian should read Philip’s books, more than ever the world needs grace, and who else to give it other than those who claim they’ve experienced grace? Philip makes the argument that he chooses the life of grace because he has experienced a life of “ungrace”. How profound.
I remember reading Philip Yancey’s book “Soul Survivor” and comparing it with “The Third Testament” by Malcolm Muggeridge. Soul Survivor is a book about the men and women whose life helped Philip Yancey find a more stable faith. Maybe someday I will write a book about such a theme, I’m sure Philip Yancey will be on my list, his writings and his life have affected mine in the same way.
Thank God for grace.
Thank God for the lives that have become channels with which we can see God’s grace.
Thank God for Philip Yancey.
The Truth is, we are a little broken and we need the Light to fall into our lives. Afterward, we have to let God use to let others see the light. Living a life of Grace is not an option for fallen mortals like us.
OTHER BOOKS BY PHILIP YANCEY I’VE READ
1. WHAT’S SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE?
2. VANISHING GRACE
3. PRAYER
4. SOUL SURVIVOR
5. THE JESUS I NEVER KNEW
6. WHERE IS GOD WHEN IT HURTS?
7. DISAPPOINTMENTS WITH GOD
You should read all of them.