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List of contents
68 Chapters total.
The book begins in the middle with the story of Jack’s son committing suicide. It then goes to the past and his childhood in Texas through his college days with Young Life, marriage, and then to seminary. It continues with him leaving seminary, becoming a pastor and serving with John Wimber, then becoming a successful author and speaker. At this point, his son’s suicide happens and the remainder of the book is the fallout from that and his wife’s alcoholism and their disintegrating marriage. The first half of the book gives hints of what is to come, and the parallels with the story of Job are subtly there. Also, some of the later themes of seeing beauty in the barrenness of suffering and seeing how God brings healing to our broken stories come to fruition in the second half. The book is well-written and the two halves work in tandem for a powerful message.
About the author
Jack Deere, formerly an associate professor of Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary, is a writer and lecturer who speaks throughout the world on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He is the author of the bestselling book, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit.
Summary
In Even in Our Darkness, Jack Deere helps readers see the beauty of God through his unconditional love for us as he brings harmony to our broken stories of darkness and destruction.
Additional text
I feel privileged to have witnessed this book being lived before it was written, as my mentor Jack Deere showed by example how to savor God’s friendship through our darkest days. This story inspires hope, not by sanitizing reality, but by artfully displaying a transcendent reality---the beauty of God even in our darkness.
