Nik Ripken

Ripkin speaks powerful spiritual truths in this book. I listened to The Insanity of God late last year and was refreshed by the power of God in the world. Applying some of the principles he experienced and learned about was harder.

The Insanity of Obedience isn't really a sequel or a companion, even...it's parallel. IoG spoke to the personal stories of believers as they shared with Nik on his tours. IoO speaks to churches and, more importantly, the individual, as they wrestle with working for the Kingdom of Jesus. The examples he uses are in both books, with IoO focusing more on application of the work of the Spirit.

This challenged me, especially because I've grown up in the western church. The forward asks, "How much will this change the American church if we really take it to heart?" (my paraphrase). The guiding principles and truths based on the Bible and experiences of believers worldwide is pushing me to reconsider what being a "member of the church" really looks like.… (altro)

This book is the personal story of Nik Ripken (a pseudonym), his early service as a missionary in Africa and how that experience led him in life to try to understand how to live as a Christian under severe persecution.

The first portion of the book recounts his early life and how it led him to Africa, then after two early stops in that continent, to the failed state of Somalia. After serving there for a decade and severe difficulties with both his ministry and family, he and his family returned to the United States wondering if it was even possible to be a Christian and call others to in a culture where that meant certain death or severe abuse.

The remainder of the book describes his worldwide visits to countries where Christians live, or have lived, under severe persecution. Initially, he wanted to create a curriculum that would help others. In the end, he just was inspired by their stories and how little he knew and decided the "curriculum" should be just telling the stories. Thus the book.

The second part of the book is indeed inspiring. Christians in the west cannot even conceive of the abuse and sacrifices fellow-believers experience in other parts of the world, it is just too foreign to our experience. (Likewise, some of those who live in these circumstances can't conceive of the liberty and freedoms we enjoy).

I found myself, however, wrestling with four pieces of the book (three, really, one is a minor mechanical annoyance).

I read the paperback version in which "scene" breaks are annotated by a crown of thorns that, in my view, was about double the size of what was needed for the task. Sometimes there were three or four of them on facing pages creating a visually jarring look. This is not the author's issue, I know, but the publisher should have known better.

The second was an undertone of accusation against other Christians for being unwilling to go into Somalia in the days he served there. The land was lawless and dangerous with no functioning government (and the associated deep human needs). Ripken's tone was somewhat questioning and accusatory toward the rest of the church for being unwilling to be on the ground there. This is a fair challenge (are we called to safety?), but in the end, everyone makes judgments about where to serve and how wise is the risk in dangerous places. Even Ripken made that judgment--his family never moved there and he himself would work there for only a few weeks at a time, then return to his base in Kenya. In my view, a challenge to be willing to sacrifice personal safety with some grace and understanding of the real choices one must make--and how to consider those choices--would have been more helpful.

The third is a seeming lack of self-awareness in how his ministry became completely coopted by the flood of relief money into Somalia of the early 1990s. That he turned into a major relief operation is not necessarily a criticism--the needs were so severely difficult and relieving human suffering is valid and important work. But his later crisis in faith seems somewhat related to how little effect all that relief had. This should not surprise him--or us--for until the underlying spiritual causes are addressed, the human suffering is not likely to change.

Finally, and most importantly, I had to struggle constantly with the title of the book which approaches heresy. I understand what he and the publishers were trying to do: in a short title, catch reader's attention and describe how "upside down" is the way of the cross. But, describing God as "insane" measures Almighty God against a human ruler: if He does not act in ways that make sense to us and fit into our conception of how the world should work, He must be "insane." This is deeply flawed theological thinking that has expanded to another book ("The Insanity of Obedience") and has its own web site, "GodsInsanity.com". Describing God this way is deeply offensive. Ripken and LifeWay should know better.… (altro)

A insanidade de Deus conta a história dos missionários Nik e Ruth Ripken, que, ao viajarem às profundezas da igreja perseguida em um dos lugares mais inóspitos da Terra, se depararam com a realidade da guerra, da fome e da destruição, onde exercer o chamado de Deus é simplesmente insuportável. Após seis anos servindo ao Senhor em circunstâncias extremas, o ¬filho de 16 anos do casal morre na manhã do domingo de Páscoa. É quando sua fé entra em crise: como Deus pode ser bom se seus ¬ filhos vivem em trevas? Deus está sempre ao nosso lado, mas isso é suficiente? As cinzas da Somália levaram os Ripkens a viajarem por mais de 70 países, aprendendo a caminhar com Jesus mesmo em meio à perseguição, sendo confrontados, tratados e amados na insanidade de Deus.… (altro)