Passport through Darkness

Passport through Darkness

 Theology in the Trenches

By Kathleen Kjolhaug

 

Throughout the years that I have been writing this column, I have touched on or alluded to only a few books that have caught my attention.  I do not ever remember writing a review on a book that so stirred me, I wanted to go door to door and give it away.  Passport through Darkness, by Kimberly Smith, moved me to this point.

Kimberly, not only an excellent writer but an honest one at that, allows us to sojourn with her through trials and tribulations while God breathes life into a ministry that changes the world.  She responds in faith, along with her husband, and together they are brought into the world of human trafficking.

I know. I know. This is a horrible subject, too close to our hearts if we have children, and too depressing to read about.  I’ve been receiving Kimberly’s e-mailings for the past two years and after reading one or two, I felt the subject matter was too heavy.  I thought it was just another alarmist who wanted to bang the drum about their particular ministry.

I had tons of excuses why I shouldn’t read the stories written in the newsletters. 

First, my plate was full…so I thought.  Second, the subject was such a downer.  I knew there was a problem somewhere in the world, but frankly, I didn’t want to think about it or hear about it. It so overwhelmed me, and I didn’t know where to begin.

Kimberly’s book changed that.  Passport through Darkness is not about her ministry or that of her husband’s.  It is about listening to the heart of God and what He is speaking to each of us.  It’s about how we are being asked to pick up those around us in order to make a difference.  Her brutal honesty leaves one longing for the intimacy she has with her husband, her calling, and her relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Kimberly clearly exposes herself.  She boasts not of sainthood, but recognizes her ability to be used as a sinner based on Him alone.  Her honesty is freeing.  It frees the reader to be able to relate to her humanness.

Packing up her own ambitions of climbing the corporate ladder, she prays.  “Lord use me, or take me out.” Upon first reading that, I wanted to clap, sing, and cheer for the truth of which she spoke and the authentic life she so desired to live.  However, upon finishing the book, it gave new meaning to the words of Jim Elliot (missionary martyred in Ecuador). “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Frankly, I’ve tumbled those words over and over in my mind throughout the years.  I knew what they were supposed to mean, but for some reason, they never fully made sense.  It wasn’t until after I read Passport through Darkness, that I could truly understand them.

Throughout the years of writing this column, I’ve wrestled so frequently with the horrid thought that through my writings others will know me more, rather than know Him more.  It is through the personal stories I share that I am able to demonstrate how He works, because I know if He is ever present in the midst of our daily trenches, He is also ever present in yours.  It is this I so wish to convey. 

And through it all, as I have gained some readers and lost readers who have perhaps caught a glimpse of my own humanness, may His glory be made known.  It is through others, such as Kimberly Smith’s book, Passport through Darkness, that His light will shine in the trenches of life.

Happy reading!  Amen.