Rainer, Thom S. The Unexpected Journey. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005.

Thom Rainer is president and CEO of LifeWay Christian resources in Nashville, Tennessee. Rainer has taught at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, of which he is an alumnus. Rainer has a passion for evangelizing the unchurched as evidenced in other titles he has written, such as The Unchurched Next Door and Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them.

Summary

The Unexpected Journey is a collection of twelve testimonies. Rainer delivers the content of his interviews with Christians converted out of various belief systems. Each representative has an “extreme” story of conversion. Rainer did not select people who had been nominal in their first religion. Many of them were leaders and teachers within their faith systems. A common revelation in every testimony is the faithfulness of believers who prayed diligently for the salvation of those telling their stories and the love of Christ demonstrated through believers.

The Mormons of chapter one were both high in the leadership structure of the Mormon church. Rauni and Dennis Higley have over twenty years as Mormons. They were trusted at headquarters. Their journey to Jesus Christ is one of skepticism of their own religion, a move to agnosticism, and eventually being reached by Jesus Christ. A former Mormon gave Rauni some expositional teaching on the book of John on tape. The care of this believer, and her prayers, were the catalyst for the Higley’s salvation. Despite the persecution and destruction of their business by the Mormon church, the Higley’s are now evangelists and apologists to Mormons.

Steve is a fulfilled Jew. His story occupies chapter two. He was raised orthodox and hostile toward Christians, believing that Christianity is responsible for atrocities such as the Holocaust. When Judaism failed to provide the happiness and fulfillment he sought, Steve turned to a life of partying and debauchery. Steve’s move to Christianity was compelled by the witness of a blonde hairstylist and a Charismatic pastor. The hairstylist brought Steve to church. The pastor presented a loving God to Steve.

Chapter three records the story of Dr. Ravi, a former Hindu. Dr. Ravi was born into a powerful caste in India, but lost favor with his family after becoming crippled and confined to a wheelchair. Eventually running away from home, Dr. Ravi found himself alone in a transit station. The care of a missionary and invitation to study at a Christian boarding school changed his life and taught him about a loving God who cares nothing for class or race.

The former atheist in chapter four, Mrs. Jones, was not just convinced that Christianity was false, but was also an active apologist against the existence of God. She had become expert in her methods of debunking Christianity, especially those who were not as well-versed in the scriptures as herself. As God developed a disharmony and doubt within her own heart, a believer challenged Mrs. Jones that she was misreading the bible. Because of her standard of intellectual excellence, Mrs. Jones re-read the bible. In the process she discovered the joy of salvation.

Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in the use of medicine. Because of this belief the church was adamant about avoiding a blood transfusion for the daughter of Paul and Patricia. Their story is told in chapter five. Both are third generation Witnesses. Both began to doubt the religion when they encountered contradictions and doctrinal evolution in the history of the Jehovah Witnesses. The turning point for the family was the simple love of a neighbor who delivered a meal, unasked, when she heard the family was dealing with the pain of an ailing child.

Mia was an agnostic. Rainer tells her story in chapter six. She grew up without boundaries. Her best friends were Vietnam veterans like her father. She found the most comfort hanging out in bars and drinking with her father’s buddies. After her marriage and birth of children, Mia decided a church with a good children’s program would be beneficial for her family. Through that church, God saved Mia and her mother who had previously mocked Christianity to Mia.

Kathi Sharpe’s testimony is one of demonic influence and intense experience. Chapter seven relates the tale of a former Wiccan Witch. Kathi was captivated by the power she discovered in Magick and the promises of Egyptian gods. Through difficulties at work and a growing physical deafness, God brought Kathi to the destruction of her gods and the return of her hearing.

The former Buddhist, Helena Li, in chapter eight wanted nothing to do with Christianity when she emigrated from Hong Kong. She and her husband found financial success through a restaurant business for a time. Eventually economic troubles and failures as business-people led Helena to doubt the promises of Buddhism. Having become open to Christianity as a result of the trials, Helena accepted an invitation to visit a church. She then began attending a class for new believers. Through these events and the love of Christians Helena was freed of guilt and found instead the acceptance of a loving God.

A Unitarian Universalist is always on a quest for truth but can never admit finding it. Chapter nine is Karan’s testimony. Karan is an intellectual most at home at the university. Karan raised her children to be intellectual and doubtful of any absolute truth. Her daughter grew up Unitarian but found the it lacking. Her conversion to Christianity and the wise provision of books by Karan’s cousin were major factors in her commitment to Jesus Christ.

Marcia talks of being a professional astrologer and New Ager in chapter ten. She embraced multiple faiths except Christianity. Marcia excelled as an astrologer and received many accolades and positions of leadership within the New Age community. On the surface it would seem that Marcia came to Christ of her own volition. A sense of uncertainty and discomfort within her spirit led her to church and eventually to Jesus. It was after her conversion that she discovered the long-time commitment of a group of Christians who prayed for more than a year for her salvation.

Mumin Muhammad became a Black Muslim because of his hatred for the white Christians who oppressed the American negro community. The story of his ascension in the Islamic-American community and the turning point afforded by a world tour is contained in chapter eleven. After the world tour, Mumin began to doubt Islam even though he had committed his life to the Allah of the Koran. Mumin would begin attending a church and even bringing his Islamic family.

The story of the former Satanist in chapter twelve has glimpses into the world of demons and angels, but is not more miraculous than the other eleven testimonies. Josh Harshbarger turned to Satanism because of an abusive childhood and a nagging insecurity. Satanism offers self-actualization and membership in a community. After years as a Satanist, Jeff found himself as unfulfilled as when he started. He had become more and more extreme in his practices. Jeff visited churches himself. It was the invitation to dinner and non-judgmental love of a family at the seventh church he visited that propelled him to Jesus Christ.

At each interview Rainer asks how a Christian can best witness to people in each faith system. The responses are consistent: love as Christ loves, know the bible, pray diligently, and invite people to church regardless of their animosity toward Christianity.

Evaluation

The best apologetic is the love of Jesus Christ. Rainer presents the stories as they are told. He explores the path that each convert took to come to Jesus Christ. In the process the theme of love by Christians is the strongest thread tying the stories together. Each testimonial has the simple care and selfless love of a few Christians as the turning point in the lives of people who were formerly sold-out to their religion.

Readers of The Unexpected Journey will find themselves reminiscing about their own conversion and thinking about the people who demonstrated the love of Jesus Christ to them. The book also challenges every believer to learn to love and to pray without ceasing. The apologetic arguments, as the former atheist explained, cannot be received unless a regeneration of the mind has taken place through the Holy Spirit. It’s the unrequited, generous love of believers that cannot be debunked. It simply exists and leaves people speechless. Prayer is the bedrock undergirding the entire book. Every testimony records the long-enduring prayers of a few believers. The Christian who desires to see a person come to Christ will discover an admonition in this book to bear that person in prayer.

Encounters with people who claimed to be Christians but were unloving are common throughout the testimonies. These encounters are a rebuke to believers today who are not obeying their leader. Rainer takes the hits personally. He feels bad for the way some churches treated the interviewees. He hurts for the way some people attempted to witness. His demeanor throughout the book is humble. Such humility is convicting to those who read the book and must likewise admit to times of being less than Christ-like.

Christian leaders and lay-people alike will find the book very encouraging. Each chapter is like being saved again. The work of God in other people’s lives bolsters the faith of every believer who rejoices in seeing the Glory of God revealed. Rainer assembles the testimonies and quotes in a fluid and engaging manner. The book is difficult to stop reading. The testimonies are memorable and continue to encourage the heart of the reader long after the book is finished.

A small group or class on evangelism will benefit greatly from reading The Unexpected Journey. Any lay-leader could direct a discussion of the book to great benefit within the church. Combined with a bible study of a gospel or the book of Acts, Rainer’s book provides excellent examples and motivation to apply the biblical principles of evangelism in today’s culture.

Rainer has delivered a well-written encouragement and reminder of the love of Jesus Christ. The Unexpected Journey shows clearly that Jesus Christ is real and active in the lives of believers and unbelievers today. He is calling people to be saved. And He is inviting believers to participate in the salvation of many souls.