Sometimes the most interesting relationships are formed by accident. And those serendipitous connections often lead to the most fascinating insights. Such is the case last week when D’Aun and I met Pete Greig.
It began with a lunch date with our friend Dave Gibbons. Before we met, Dave texted me and asked if it would be okay to invite Pete Greig and his friend Bob Jobes. Um, sure … sounds good.
Dave Gibbons, Bob Jobe, and Pete Greig at a Honolulu restaurant.
Turns out that Pete and I had mutual friends (Byron and Lisa Borden, two of my classmates from Westmont). Also, Pete and his wife Sammie lived about two miles from the Goble ancestral village of Westergate in Southern England. And Pete is interested in eco-theology. You get the idea … we had several overlapping interests.
As we walked away from the restaurant, Pete handed me a copy of his book God on Mute. Now, I know that Pete is the ringleader behind the 24-7 Prayer Movement … and I know he’s a really bright guy … but I honestly didn’t think I could learn much about prayer from a young Brit with a funny accent.
I was wrong.
If you read this blog you know that I don’t like to post book reviews on this main page. And I seldom post two in a row. But God on Mute is so good that I have to bring it to your attention. It’s a book about unanswered prayer and how we are to understand it.
Last year I read Faith at the Edge by my dear departed philosophy professor, Robert Wennberg. The book explored the reasons and strengths of healthy doubt in our faith. It’s a rare book because it addresses something we seldom discuss.
Greig’s book on prayer strikes me the same way. Think about it … who takes the time in the faith community to talk about unanswered prayer? And what kind of bloke starts a 24-7 prayer movement and then writes a book about unanswered prayer? Shouldn’t he be focusing on the answered stuff?
But it’s precisely this counter intuitive approach that makes the book so strong. We all have unanswered prayers, and delving into them can build our faith and help us understand God in entirely new ways. I love that approach.
Speaking of the approach, it’s worth noting how the book is organized. Greig organizes it around Maundy Thursday (when Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane is unanswered), Good Friday (when Christ seems to give up hope for an answer to prayer), Holy Saturday (when God seems absent), and of course Easter (when it all comes together in unexpected ways). It’s a brilliant structure.
I’ve been praying for nearly fifty years now so one would think I’d have a pretty good grasp on the topic. But Greig has opened my eyes to new insights, and for that I’m thankful.
As I said, serendipitous meetings can often be the most enriching.
