DAVID ADAMS reviews Lisa Gibson’s latest book…
Lisa Gibson
God’s Roadmap To Peace: Find Lasting Peace In A World Of Conflict
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 978-1505207583
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“Throughout the book, Gibson wades into real-life scenarios, drawn both from her own experiences but also from a wider perspective. And there’s plenty of Biblical references to follow through on – Gibson repeatedly turns to the Bible for answers to some of the hard questions she poses.” |
American Lisa Gibson, whose 20-year-old brother Ken was killed in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in Scotland, is a lawyer, best-selling author and a determined peace-maker.
Not only has she personally experienced the power of forgiveness, travelling to Libya to meet its late ruler Muammar Gaddafi and writing to the also now deceased Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrahi – the only man ever convicted of the bombing, Gibson has also been actively involved in peace-making projects around the world.
While she has previously written about her personal path to forgiveness – most notably in her book Life to Death: A Journey From Terrorism To Triumph, in this, her latest book, Gibson recounts some more of her personal journey as she writes about what it means as a Christian to be a peace-maker. As she writes: “We need an awakening within the church and throughout the world as to what peace is about and how to obtain it. It is foundational to the Christian faith and deeply embedded in the gospel message.”
The book takes an in-depth look at what ‘peace’ is all about, including the distinction between outer and inner peace, with the latter “foundationally rooted in the Hebrew concept of Shalom”. It also looks at what the term “false peace” means particularly in the context of today’s political correctness and relativism and the dangers it can represent. Peace, Gibson says, starts in our relationship with Jesus and through that relationship, can impact the world around us.
In understanding peace, Gibson also looks at big picture concepts like conflict, grace, humility, justice, love and reconciliation, in particular how God desires us to be reconciled with those we come into conflict with (although as Gibson relates through a personal account, this doesn’t always turn out as we might have hoped).
Conflict, she says, is a “test”, which we will fail at times and at other times pass.
“I believe when we start to really get it right, when we start to really live radically different than the world, we will finally see the church and its mission being embraced on a global scale,” Gibson writes. ”When we start to live in a transformational and counter cultural way in our own lives, the world will be uncontrollably drawn to the essence of Jesus and His life and mission in us. This is the call on our lives.”
Throughout the book, Gibson wades into real-life scenarios, drawn both from her own experiences but also from a wider perspective. And there’s plenty of Biblical references to follow through on – Gibson repeatedly turns to the Bible for answers to some of the hard questions she poses.
There’s lots to chew on here – it’s a good book for a Bible study group to work through and the division of the book into 15 chapters plus an introduction and conclusion makes it an easy task.
The easy-to-read book finishes on a high note with Gibson, in the final chapter, talking about her experience in walking the European pilgrimage route known as the The Camino or the Way of St James (indeed that journey could make for a book in itself – although, to be fair, that has already been done – remember the movie The Way?).
“It was on the Camino that I started to live out the principles that I have talked about in this book in a real, profound way,” Gibson explains. “You reach out to people, offer help when it is needed. You receive help from others when you need it. You fellowship and eat meals together and get to know people deeply, even deeper in a short amount of time than you would in normal life. When you see someone down, you encourage them.”
The challenge for her now – as for all of us – is “how to integrate the Camino peace into my everyday life”. “I don’t want it to be just an experience, but a lifestyle change. Profoundly I believe the answer for all of us is to begin to see life as a pilgrimage. God has given us the roadmap to for this pilgrimage to peace in the Bible. It is God’s punishment that led to our peace. When we start to manifest the peace of God that is inside of us, there will be a natural overflow of peace to those around us.” Amen.
Follow this link to buy this book, God’s Roadmap To Peace: Find Lasting Peace In A World Of Conflict
