In Reclaimed, Andy Steiger captures the essence of what we are here for in a fallen and broken world and what provides our only hope. We will only see ourselves and others in a proper light be being in right relationship with God who helps restore our relationship with ourselves and with our fellow human beings.
By using captivating descriptions of real life and often personal experiences Andy draws us into exploring what it is to be human, where we derive our value and what leads to human flourishing and how we can get there. He takes complex concepts and themes and breaks them down into bite sized pieces that one can chew on and ponder.
We all recognize that genocide begins with dehumanization but do we realize the seemingly tiny ways in which we dehumanize others and ourselves every day? We try to reduce human beings to the material stuff we are made of, but do we understand what we were made for? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that humans have inherent dignity, equality, and inalienable rights but have you ever wondered why? We are all reaching for a flourishing life but why is it that when we get what we think will accomplish it we realize we are not satisfied?
By joining Andy in his exploration of what it means to be human you will uncover a new appreciation for your own humanity and your relationship with those around you and with the God who made you.
WHAT IS THE WHAT - by Dave Eggers
The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng is a 2006 novel written by Dave Eggers. It is based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese child refugee who immigrated to the United States under the Lost Boys of Sudan program. It was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Although written in novel format, this book is as true of an account as is possible, given that Deng was only 7 years old when he ran from his village under attack and made his way on foot to refuge in Ethiopia and eventually to Kenya where he lived for 10 years in a refugee camp. The story brought me back to the sights and smells I experienced in the Kiziba refugee camp in Rwanda, knowing the experience of Deng was much like that of the people there.
In an inventive and intriguing way, Eggers writes the story using a 48 hour period in Deng's life in the US to have him reflect on his life story in thought to various people he encounters throughout that time.
I finished this book wanting to know the rest of the story. A google search led me to find that Deng was appointed the Education Minister in South Sudan in 2015. This was a far way from the check-in job at a gym where I left him in 2006 at the end of the book. He has also built a school in his village in Sudan and you can watch a video about that here.
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