Skip to main content

Cross Roads


Wm. Paul Young has done it again. Depending on how you felt about his book The Shack, it could very well determine if you are glad it has happened again. His new book, Cross Roads, follows Anthony Spencer through his less than perfect life.

If you liked the playful depictions of God from Young's previous bestseller, you're likely to enjoy this view as well. Some of this felt familiar, but that is far from a complaint. When a good reminder is given, it often is needed to be given again.

You shouldn't fear that this is simply The Shack 2.0, for new characters are introduced in unconventional ways, including an Irishman named Jack, who will feel like a welcome friend to many.

Young does a good job of keeping the story moving, bouncing between several stories. I must admit there was at least one point where the story line felt forced in order to give Young a chance to stand on a soapbox. Readers can be sure that assumptions will be questioned and beliefs challenged. But what else is reading for, if not for an opportunity for growth?

In the end, I was left with a few questions, but I believe that marks a good book, just like a good movie. If I want everything wrapped up neat and tidy, I'll rent a rom-com for my wife. This was a good story with lots of room for thought, both during the read and after the book is done.

I was given this book for free by my good friends at SpeakEasy. They ask me to say something, but don't tell me what to say.

Paul's website
Paul's old blog
Paul on Facebook
Paul on Twitter
Crossroads chat on Amazon


"This is my first novel on purpose." Jim Henderson (of Off-the-Map fame) interviews Paul Young aboutCrossroads

#SpeakeasyCrossroads

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Facebook Maybe

Granted, I'm a pastor. I have Type-A tendencies. Ok, my tendencies border on freakish OCD behavior patterns, but... Few things bother me more than the Facebook 'maybe'. I suppose I could go on and on about the grey areas of our society and the refusal of people to accept absolute standards. I could discuss the great need of people to accept that what is wrong for one person is likely wrong for everyone. I should certainly be concerned about mentioning that someone might have sin in their life. But I don't believe the Facebook 'maybe' is quite sin. Perhaps if I were coming up with new sins, I would add this to the list. But alas... Some might think the Facebook 'maybe' did not exist prior to the Internet, but they would be wrong. When I was in high school and asked a girl out on a date, I would normally be told that if they had no other plans, if nobody else called them, if there was nothing good on television and their hair did not need washing, then per...

Accountable

I recently officiated a wedding. The ceremony was simple, lovely, and ended with another couple professing to keep the covenant of marriage. But it all started with a clarification...from me. At our first premarital counseling session, as I have done with every couple I have agreed to marry, I clarified a couple of matters. First, I officiate Christian weddings, where both spouses-to-be are professing Christians. I firmly believe that marriage is difficult enough, without adding disagreements about God into the mix. Second, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I believe the pastor’s role in a wedding is to represent the blessing of God on that union. So we have several sessions of premarital counseling where we discuss married life. It’s not that I have this imaginary card in my head, with a picture of me on the front and my stats on the back. (You know, like a baseball card.) Ok, I do picture cards. Pastor cards! And being a competitive guy, I want my stats to look good. The number of coupl...

Mom

I will travel this weekend to Georgia to celebrate the life of my mom, who passed away just before Christmas.  A Celebration of Life service. That’s what we’re calling it. Because that’s what my mom wanted. She was quite clear on this matter. She didn’t want a funeral. She didn’t want people mourning for her.  As a Christian, she was very certain on her eternal destination and she wanted everything, in her life and death, to reflect that. There will be music, people sharing tributes, and a message given by her pastor.  If that sounds similar to a funeral, I agree. But semantics aside, let me share with you a few more things about my mom. Along the way, you might learn a few things about why I function the way that I do. As I’ve considered my mom’s legacy, a few words have come to mind. Steadfast My mom knew what she believed, lived what she knew to be true, and didn’t really care what anyone else thought about it. I have no inclination to remember my mom as some perfect p...