26 Jul 2007

The Journey (by Billy Graham)

I've read one or two books by the well-known evangelist Billy Graham before, and found them interesting and somewhat thought-provoking. So when I was given this book, supposedly his magnum opus, I was intrigued. Subtitled: 'How to live by faith in an uncertain world' I thought it might have new insights, and profound thoughts.

It turned out to be a lot more basic than I had expected. The first section is about Christian belief - not apologetic style, like CS Lewis, but much more straightforward. I didn't disagree with any of it, but it was nothing new.

The second section of the book, 'Strength for the Journey', talks about Christian resources - how to grow, how to find guidance, and so on. Again, fairly basic although there were some interesting anecdotes. The final two sections of the book were a little deeper, dealing with challenges and finally with growing older. Billy Graham is nearly ninety, and the book was only written in 2006 so he evidently has great experience of getting elderly!

If that all sounds a bit negative, it isn't really meant to be. Perhaps I was expecting too much of it, but it's certainly not a bad book. It's a good, basic explanation of what it means to be a Christian, and how to continue along the path throughout life. A good legacy to leave behind, and I'm sure it will help many people. Although it's not the brilliantly readable style of, say, Philip Yancey, it's well-written and very clear and logical.

I read it over about three weeks, just a chapter or two at a time, and while there wasn't anything really new to me, I think it was well worth reading. Recommended.

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