The author of Glorious Ruin, Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin) currently is the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, succeeding the late D. James Kennedy, and the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham. Glorious Ruin is loosely based on a series of sermons Pastor Tchividjian preached on the book of Job.
In the Introduction, the author reflects on a very painful time in his life- the end of his parents’ 41-year marriage. Gifts he had grown to idolize, such as his parents’ faith and the family reputation, crumbled and fell apart. Nevertheless, Pastor Tchividjian’s grief brought him in touch with his need for God like nothing else could have at that particular moment in time:
“Whenever what we’ve depended on for meaning- and it’s usually one of God’s good gifts- is stripped away, our first reaction tends to be one of anger, self-pity, blame, and entitlement. But idolatry feeds on itself, robbing us of joy until we have no other choice but to cry out to God. Fortunately, as one friend puts it, God’s office is at the end of your rope.”
Rather than seeking or demanding answers to the Why and How of our ministry downsizing or position loss, we need to connect with Who is present with us in and through our suffering. Our ruin, the author asserts, may give rise to the beginning (or transformation) of faith and will not be our ultimate undoing.
