Book Review: A Voice in the Wind

Up until this point I have generally avoided reading much Christian fiction.  Most of the books I'd seen depicted amish-looking girls in bonnets.  Not exactly my thing.  But Mrs. Mom recommended A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers, and I thought I'd give it a shot.  I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story.  The plot centers on Hadassah, a young Jewish-Christian girl who survived the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  She winds up as a house slave in Rome and strives to reflect the love of Christ to the family she serves.  Her selfless, pure faith is contrasted starkly with the lives of the family members, who embrace the Roman ideal of pursuing pleasure no matter what the cost.  In a time when Christians were killed for their faith in Jesus Christ, Hadassah's faith never wavers.  When opportunities come for her to talk about God, she embraces them and prays for the courage each day to speak the name of Jesus.

The more I read the more I realized that the Roman times were not so unlike our own.  American culture idolizes the pursuit of pleasure and the destruction of morality.  Our world is centered on you, and doing what you want.  This is antithetical to scripture which says that rather than life being about finding pleasure on earth, we are to glorify our God in heaven.

Another thing that tugged on my heart is the fact that persecution of Christians still happens today.  It's easy to think that the times of believers being fed to the lions are long gone, but this is just not the case.  In many countries today Christians are tortured and killed for their faith.  This reminder has made me much more aware of the freedom I have as a Christian, and I'm so thankful to God for his mercy in my life.

A Voice in the Wind is the first in a series of three books, and is definitely one worth checking out.