"Room of Marvels" (James Bryan Smith)

TITLE: Room of Marvels: A Story About Heaven that Heals the Heart
AUTHOR: James Bryan Smith
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020, (192 pages).

Presented through the eyes of Tim Hudson, the book begins with Tim going on a personal 5-day spiritual retreat in a secluded New England monastery. Tim is an established author. He shares with his spiritual director about the loss of his mother, his friend Wayne, and his young daughter Madison. He was at the point of losing his own faith in God despite previously writing books like "God's On Your Side." He describes the mundane daily activities like eating in silence; sitting in silence for hours in his room; pacing the floors; reading Scripture; eat, sleep; and dream. He asks questions about the efficacy of prayer. He seeks a personal voice from God. He tells of a dream about him even interacting with animals, seeing his barber friend Ernie, and various snippets of heaven. There Tim works through some theological struggles in his interactions. In heaven, he meets his old friend Wayne and continues with questions and curiosity about his life after death. These conversations reveal the deep friendship between Tim and Wayne. In heaven, Tim meets his great-grandmother, his mother, as well as his daughter. At his personal retreat, his spiritual mentor challenges him with snippets of spirituality gleaned through the wisdom of CS Lewis and Dallas Willard. He poses questions many of us would ask. Questions like:

• How to forgive ourselves?
• What do we do when we feel our prayers aren't getting through to God?
• What do we do with our anger, especially against God?
• Why did God allow pain and suffering?
• How do we heal from our hurts?
• What about life after death?
• Can God speak to us via dreams?
• Is it God's will to give some parents a handicapped child?
• What does grief look like over time?
• .....

My Thoughts

This book reminds me of the importance of friendships. In the story, Tim and his good friend Wayne were able to reconnect and continue their friendship even after the death of Wayne. While it is imagination through a dream about heaven, we are reminded that as far as love and friendship are concerned, time is no barrier. Absence might make the heart grow fonder, but good friendships like love will last forever. Friendships are everywhere in this book. His barber Ernie, his spiritual mentors like Brother Taylor, his friend Wayne, and also good friendly conversations with his own family members. These relationships go beyond the superficial layer of acquaintances. Friends are those who are able to share our hopes and dreams. Perhaps, the biggest test of any friendship is how we walk with one another as we face our fear of death with hopes of life. The "Room of Marvels" is a guide to how one person grieves his loss of loved ones. We might not write as the author did, but we can learn to creatively craft our own poems, prose, or parables in our own unique ways. This book inspires us to do the same.

Even though this is a work of fiction, the characters and events present a haunting resemblance to the author's own tragedies. Within months, he had lost his mother, his close friend Rich Mullins, and his two-year-old daughter, Madeline. Sometimes, expressing grief is best done indirectly. Through fiction and storytelling, there is no inhibition in citing sources or ensuring factual accuracy. The focus could be on the themes and the underlying emotions behind the questions. The author could freely pose questions of faith and doubt without having to justify his own stances. Grief has a way to test our deepest struggles of faith. For readers who are curious about the relationship between the fictional character Tim and the author, read the epilogue. 

First published in 2007, this new edition comes expanded with discussion questions for readers. This guide brings together a number of meaningful themes of spirituality that turns a work of fiction into a practical guide for Christian Living. Plus, we learn how good literature can bring about a special sense of healing. For anyone who struggles with the issues of death and dying, grief and grieving, seeing how Tim works through these issues gives us the strength to do the same in our own way.

James Bryan Smith is the author of The Good and Beautiful God and the Apprentice series. He is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, where he also serves as the director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. A founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré, Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.