Silence

Silence, by Shusaku Endo, translated by William Johnston, is a sobering read on the reality of persecution in the church. This past week we have been studying Rome in Vacation Bible School and trying to communicate the reality of persecution to the kids.

In Silence, Endo makes persecution come alive in the persecution of the church in Japan. Father Sebastian Rodrigues sets out to discover the fate of another priest rumored to have apostatized, only to be captured himself. The brutal reality of the persecution is haunting, as are the questions that torment Rodrigues as he wanders the countryside, searching for answers, searching for God's presence in the midst of this tribulation.

Silence isn't easy to read, but it is beautifully written. I wish I could say I felt better about my faith when I finished it, but I cannot imagine the horrors of persecution and the questions that would arise in my own soul if I set out as this priest did. It forced me to ask questions that I wasn't sure I wanted to ask, and it makes me wonder about the crucifixion and the depth of Christ's sorrow. Is there hope? In Christ there is always hope, even in the shadows of death, of emptiness and of pain, for Christ has been there, and broken those powers, even if we still face their threats today.