Book Review: There are No Strong People

Recommended on the front cover by no less a Pastor than R.T.Kendall, and with several other endorsements, this is a book that pressures you into liking it from the word go. Add to that a very popular author, a warm and fuzzy premise, and my inner sceptic was in turmoil. Fortunately, "There are No Strong People" by Pastor and Writer Jeff Lucas is not like that at all. This is a book for people: all people; strong + weak, male and female, old and young, new and long-standing in the faith.

Lucas, in this book, goes straight back to the Old Testament for inspiration. This is a book that taps a key nerve - the human desire for strength - but with the oldest resource available for us to diagnose problems in people: God's Word. This book is in essence a study on the life of Samson, the Judge of Israel who had a somewhat tumultuous relationship with God, and who died in a burst of physical strength. Lucas' choice of Samson may seem an odd one, but a careful reading of the biblical narrative has resulted in some timely and powerful observations.

One thing I loved early on in this book was the strong encouragement, more of a command, from the author to go and read the biblical text. Possibly multiple times. This is a good challenge - I often skip over reading bible passages I think I know, particularly in Christian books. However, this book is less engaging, less impacting if you do that. You need to read and hear the story of Samson to get the most out of this book.

Lucas is an excellent storyteller here, and he uses this gift well. He is also respectful of the text, rather than trying to impose his own ideas on the Samson story, as this from the opening chapter demonstrates;

"bear in mind that Samson was not a Christian trapped in an Old Testament era, so lets not demand any more of him than we should"

This is a helpful observation, and it allows us to go on and look at the relationship with God (And sex, and strength and power) that Samson actually had rather than trying to impose a foreign meaning into the text. Lucas is also good at grounding the story of Samson into its place in history and Scripture, going so far as mentioning a little of the scholarly debate around whether his story is saga, myth, or history. 

This book is printed (and presumably written!) in a paragraph style reminiscent of Rob Bell. There is a similar one line or phrase to paragraph format - and it works really well here. Lucas is very hard hitting, and not afraid to say what is actually going on in the story of Samson, and how it relates to us living out our calling in Jesus. I love this extract from the tail end of the chapter "What You See is What You Get";

"If your eye offends you, said Jesus, gouge it out.

If your hand offends, cut it off.

Jesus obviously meant this metaphorically. That's worth saying, because Origen, an Early Church father, took Jesus' words literally and castrated himself, only to discover that he had misunderstood that text. That would mess up your week...

We must allow others to believe the worst about us, because we are capable of the worst.

After all, you and I are related to Samson, as fellow members of the human race. We're sons and daughters of Adam.

That's us.

All of us.

The Adam's Family"

In closing, this is a very helpful book that ultimately points us to strength in Jesus. It is notable for the authors style, and the extended character study of Samson, but it is a book that echoes its title throughout. This is a wonderful book for demonstrating what is going on in the human condition, amongst all the pressures of human life. I'd recommend it for people tired of 'macho Christianity', people wanting to learn something about Jesus in the Old Testament, and those in leadership who struggle with relating to others, weak or strong. Published by CWR, its available all over the place.