I finished reading, The Grace Effect: How the Power of One Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief by Larry Taunton. This book not only educated me on the arguments of why a society benefits from Christian influence, but it also enlightened me to the plight of other countries who are not touched by the hand of God’s people.
Through sharing his experience of adopting a ten year old girl from the Ukraine, Taunton explains the vast differences between American culture/politics/attitudes and those formerly under the control of communist rule.
His story brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion as he explains the moral destitute of lives without the benefit of Christ. He correlates this with a discussion he had with a New Atheists, Christopher Hitchens, regarding how societies benefit from the Grace Effect. He explains that even if a citizen is not a Christian, they benefit from having Christians in society. His rational for how true Christianity (not just the appearance/name) influences a society in a positive way, whereas a society void of grace can only bring despair and the eventual down fall of that society.
His real life examples mixed with historical testaments makes one see the realities of how grace, or the lack thereof, affects us all in some degree. He articulately demonstrates how Christianity in an environment is essential to growth and how many pervert these truths to suite their own agenda’s while blatantly ignoring countless examples of how graces changes lives and countries.
The touching story of the extent his family went in order to adopt one child is extraordinary. Witnessing grace through the life of this child will move even the most stringent in heart. I highly recommend this reading to anyone, especially those who have adopted or are planning on adopting from abroad.
I also recommend this book to anyone who, like me, has little knowledge of communism, socialism and atheism. This book will open your eyes to thoughts and ideas you may have rarely ever encountered. It will educate you on where our society has been and where it may be headed. While all of this may sound boring, the way Taunton articulates it will have you on the edge of your seat ready to read the next page. I know I could hardly put this book aside; I had to know what happened next!
(Christopher Hitchens passed away-12/15/2011. My heart aches for him as I wonder if he ever came to know Christ as his savior. As you read this book, you can see how close he was having faith in something contrary to his core beliefs, it gives me hope that he did not die alone. It's hard to believe that prior to this book I had never heard of im, there is so much you can Google to learn more!)
This book was provided complimentary by the publisher, Thomas Nelson, through BookSneeze for the purpose of review.
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