Safely Home

A few days ago, I just finished reading Randy Alcorn's Safely Home, a Christmas present from my wonderful sister-in-law, Amy. My overall opinion: an amazing piece of work - highly recommended. There have been very few books that I've read as rapidly and as intently as this one.


Synopsis

Ben Fielding and Li Quan were roommates at Harvard. Twenty years after graduation, Ben is a very successful vice president at a major semiconductor manufacturing company where he is next in line to take the CEO position. Li Quan, a brilliant history scholar, moved back to China after graduation where his involvement with an underground church has landed him in jail numerous times. Although the two men had been disconnected for over 20 years, Ben's business lands him in China for a few weeks where he somewhat reluctantly reconnects with Li Quan. Ben gradually learns that his perceptions of the Chinese government's attitude toward Christianity (and religion in general) are severely flawed.

His friendship with Quan embodies a collision of two very distinct worldviews. Ben's (supposed) Christian faith from back at Harvard has waned into an intolerant atheism (under the guise of supreme tolerance), and Quan's perseverance and complete reliance upon Christ amidst suffering and persecution drives his insatiable thirst for God's Word and presence in his life.

Teachings

This book brings several critical issues to the table, I'll name just a few here:

• God's sovereignty in all circumstances
• Importance of an eternal perspective
• Chinese culture (language, tradition, history, government)
• Chinese underground churches (measures taken to meet, opposition faced)
  
• Persecution of Chinese Christians
• Biblical fatherhood
  
• Endurance in the face of suffering and martyrdom
• Significance of Scripture memorization
• Importance of prayer
• Western materialism and self-sufficiency
• Last days (Revelation)

Overall

Randy Alcorn is the director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, whose goal is to "meet the needs of the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled and unsupported people around the world." He is a very well-respected teacher and author who preaches sound doctrine. 100% of all proceeds go to "the persecuted church around the world." He has, by God's grace, written a thrilling, educational, convicting, and inspiring novel in Safely Home that I won't soon forget.