Hope In Time of Abandonment by Jacques Ellul

One of my favorite authors is Jacques Ellul. This book, I read much later than most of the other titles of his I've studied. Hope In A Time of Abandonment considers how our hurriedness prevents God from revealing Himself. How God must allow our busyness to find its uselessness so that we might be still and listen. God waits for us to see our need. This book is a reflective read—perhaps contemplative. Ellul posits that God makes Himself scarce so that we might pursue Him. God allows the doors, options, and solutions to dry up so that we might see our need. Ellul's thoughts are haunting. Take the following as one example among many that I extracted from this book.

"When man is not made hopeless by God's silence, it is because he (man) has destroyed his awareness, to the point of wanting nothing better than to be identified instead of identifiable."

Ellul's ideas are not just profound. They are also remarkably relevant to a modern world. He serves as a kind of prophet, delivering hard truths to a world and religious community that prefers comfort, indulgence and to be spoon fed. I appreciate his incisive thoughts and his exactitude in calling out the superficiality that can pervade our religious discourse.