"Who Are You, Lord?"

Debut author Luther offers a memoir that’s also a collection of meditations on popular Christian topics.

As the author explains in the introduction, “I am now, at age forty-five, a man who loves God above all else, because I am above all else loved by him.” In the pages that follow, he tells of his time as a “raging alcoholic” and his eventual redemption through steady prayer and belief. He divides his sentiments into chapters with titles such as “Love,” “Forgiveness,” and “Trust,” incorporating frequent biblical quotes and prayers as well as the sentiments of other writers, such as C.S. Lewis and T.S. Eliot. The book overflows with earnest guidance for the weary soul, aiming toward a simplicity backed by personal experience. The author asserts what it means to be Christian quite clearly: “living a life spent pursuing intimate, daily fellowship with Jesus Christ.” Addressing whether human suffering is an expression of God’s anger, he assures readers that “Trouble and hard times are not God punishing us.” Love is paramount, he says: “Get out in the world and go love somebody; be the hands and feet of Jesus,” he urges, later noting that “Nobody is beyond God’s desire to love or his ability to use them.” But although the author incorporates elements of his struggle with addiction, they’re too often vague, as in an allusion to his continuing problem with “lesser” vices that don’t involve drugs or alcohol; for example, does “sleeping too much” truly complicate one’s commitment to a Christian life? The author does tell one story of a low point that helps humanize his experience: a recovering-alcoholic friend found him drinking in his car when he should have been at work. More moments like these might have better illuminated this unique tale. Still, the author avoids any sort of holier-than-thou tone in this book, allowing it to offer a truly inspiring message. If turning to prayer could work for a man who experienced such a “series of ‘Rock Bottom’ moments,” readers may think, perhaps it could work for anyone. 

A heartfelt message about one man’s embrace of Christianity.