Brutal Challenges - Josh Naqvi

 "Silence" is a book that I think tugs at my heart in a manner quite different from those we have read in the past. This is because it is part of the history of any Christian. Christian persecution is not an abstract concept nor is it made up. Christians really did have to endure brutal challenges. In "Silence" we see that Japan is a brutal land. The leaders hunt the Christians. They want them dead. The priests who go there have nothing to personally gain. They just want the people to hear the good news of Jesus. It is so important to keep this mind when reading. They gave up everything and risked the little they did have just to potentially tell others about Jesus. A culture without Jesus, is nothing short of being absolutely brutal. It is the influence of Christ that brings about any lasting change. 

Something that peaked my interest is the reactions to the challenges. Each character Rodrigues, Ferreira, Garrpe, and Kichijiro reacts differently. Rodrigues pushes forward despite the challenges at sea and when he does reach Japan. I find him to be almost too confident at times and to be the most risky of the group. He even will go as far to call others members of the group, Kichijiro, cowards. An example of this is when the two villagers knock at his door and he opens it without hesitation, despite Garrpe warning him. Garrpe is devoted to the cause as well, but it is obvious that he is a bit more withdrawn. At least he is more so than Rodrigues.  Ferreira was persecuted and is for the most part unknown. However, the fact that his work inspired Rodrigues speaks volumes. I hope later we will be able to see exactly how he responded. The last character, Kichijiro, is by far the most afraid. He has trauma from seeing his family die and this is where his issues stem. His reaction to the challenges is to hide and try to drink the issues away. I think that this book gives fantastic insight into how Christians deal with challenges that come up in their ministry. I look forward to seeing if their reactions change and if so to what extent. 


I commented on Bug Olsen and Emma Landry 

Comments

  1. Emma LandryApril 11, 2022 at 7:44 PM

    I agree with you that Rodrigues is a bit over-confident. While Kichijiro can be somewhat overcome by fear at times, the trauma he carries with him provides an explanation. The way he reacts to the dangers of the land is understandable. Rodrigues is a different type of extreme, and his lack of caution and more impulsive nature seems bound to put him and Garrpe into trouble later on in the story. The priests will be of no use to any of the Japanese if they are dead.
    -Emma Landry

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