Poets & Saints by Jamie George Have you ever had the inkling to explore where you came from? My finger hovered above the "enter" key as I prepared to learn what the all-knowing internet had to say about my family's roots. Jake and I were excitedly preparing for our upcoming adventure to the Emerald Isle, and with my Dad's side of the family having immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland during the potato famine, I wanted to do some research with the hopes of tracking down long-lost family while we were there. I pressed the button and scanned the results. The long lost family I would be looking for was: Patrick O'Reilly. Patrick. O'Reilly. How many of those do you think are in Ireland? So we didn't get to hunt down my extended family, but we did learn about my Irish heritage, Ireland's history, and another guy named Patrick. St. Patrick that is. Did you know that St. Patrick's name wasn't really Patrick? And he wasn't even Irish? He was kidnapped from his home in Britain as a teenager by Irish pirates (pirates??) who then forced him to be a shepherd in the Irish countryside where he later found Christ. Eventually he escaped, traveled back to his hometown and, his heart aching for the Celtic people to know that they too could have a personal relationship with God by confessing their sin and turning to Him, returned to his captors years later to share the Gospel with them. He was successful, and is traditionally credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. I can't imagine what life for Patrick must have been like as he roamed the Irish pastures with his sheep. Only a teenager, traumatically kidnapped from his home, and isolated from community (except for his sheep of course). Having memorized Scripture in his childhood, I bet he spent many hours reciting and meditating on Scripture amongst his sheep friends. My mind thought about Patrick and my distant Irish relatives one morning when Jake and I found ourselves tending sheep in a pasture in southern Ireland. It turns out I'm very bad at being a shepherd and the sheep mostly just ran away from me, but the serenity of the scene gave me a renewed understanding of John 10 where Jesus speaks of being the good shepherd: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10: 11 I wonder if this verse may have been one of many that God used to impact this kidnapped British boy-turned-shepherd named Patrick by showing him the length Christ went to in order to pay for our sins and restore our relationship with the Father? I'm not sure, but meandering through the pasture that morning I felt connected not only to my Irish roots, but to this man who boldly proclaimed the most important News of all time to those who had so badly hurt him to begin with. In Poets & Saints by Jamie George, travelogue and biography are combined to make a fun, unique, easy-to-read book highlighting the magic of traveling Europe and the incredible testimonies of St. Patrick and some of the most influential men and women in church history. From St. Augustine and John Calvin to St. Therese and C.S. Lewis, Jamie George explores the stories of a few of history's famous and not-so-famous poets and saints that transformed the world for the sake of the Gospel, and the locations they called home.
Jamie George shares stories from his team's adventure exploring Europe and experiencing history as they visited locations significant to some of Christianity's influential authors, martyrs, and reformers. His vivid descriptions transport you straight into the cozy English pub C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien frequented to discuss theology, the cobblestone streets and sweeping Italian vistas of St. Francis' home in Assisi, and the Irish countryside where St. Patrick came to know Christ. If you are prone to develop wanderlust, be cautious- you'll probably start planning your dream European exploration with each enticing chapter. Learning the powerful testimonies of these men and women was eye-opening. The author portrays their lives before Christ as well as their contributions to the church and society after accepting Christ. St. Francis was a rebel. John Newton was a slave trader. St. Augustine lived a life of lust. These people that we so often adopt a lofty view of were broken, sinful humans like you and me. They still had struggles after entering into a relationship with Jesus, but God used them in powerful ways for the transformation of lives and the church. My rating? 3/5 The balance of this book weighs heavier on the travelogue than the biographies. If you're looking to really learn about these individuals' lives, a heartier biography would probably be a better choice. At times it felt like there was too much emphasis on the author's personal experience and fun on the trip than the lives of the poets and saints whom the trip was supposed to focus on. But it is a fun and easy read that does a great job of transporting the reader to these European locations, and provides an introduction to the biographies of a variety of influential believers! |
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