From the first moments of engaging the book Walkout, written by Allen Stark, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the eerily familiar atmosphere from which much of this book was written. I too had experienced my own “walkout” of sorts, from a triumphantly wonderful pastor falling from sin to people disheartened by the political make up and fear of man that seems to be so prevalent in church today. Some could say I’ve lived parts of it, and from that vantage point, I couldn’t help but look in the mirror and see my own reflection in this book. I once heard it stated that a good book will not merely entertain, but force you to engage yourself and ask questions that illicit change. “Walkout” does exactly that.
Stark is a good writer. It seems odd to say this, but in a day and age when even the script seems to be spoon fed to us, Stark writes allegorically with ease and as you work through the story, you catch a glimpse of a man who knows the literary scope to which he is attempting to write in. Honestly, I liked it.
To be truthful, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it. Knowing he and I experienced the same heart ache from a church split and torrential fall of a man extremely gifted by God only to listen to the lies of the flesh, I didn’t know how he would go about describing the events to be real but also protect those involved. And though the story had much more involved then what we experienced, nonetheless he writes with conviction and hope; hope for change and for the power of Christ to do the impossible in lives.
Here is a pivotal paragraph within the book that I found specifically great; one in which the church leaders of today, as well as the elders and those involved in making decisions, need to hear:
“He said…” Again she paused, causing Rob, Floyd, and Sheryl to believe that Patrick had confessed to the charges. Instead, when she continued, she surprised them all. “He felt that, because of similar situations in the past involving others, the church elders, congregation, and community would not stand behind him. He felt it would only be a matter of time until his credibility and reputation would be destroyed. He wasn’t willing to go through what Dillon Montgomery and Hershel Davis had to.”
One of Stark’s characters early on commits suicide and though the reasons are not clear right away, the wife is confronted by the police to confront the allegations against her now deceased husband on molestations charges. Though the charges themselves seem at first warranted, a deeper introspection really shows the helplessness of the individual church member opposed to the “face” that church often tries to show to the public. Rather than supporting an innocent man, the church time and again is afraid of taking stands with their parishioners, and compromises in weakness rather than standing for the gospel and for the people.
Walkout is not a story that is depressing, however, and throughout the course of it Stark gives a hope in the belief of Jesus Christ, and always points towards the Father as the author of it all. There are real issues he brings to light, and offers wonderful insight as well:
Job says, ‘But he knows where I am going. And when he has tested me like gold in a fire, he will pronounce me innocent.’” George waited for a response.
“Then you don’t think God is angry with me?”
“Saul, when God has tested me, I have felt abandoned. There was a time when Paulina and I were separated for a while, trying to work out some marriage problems, and I felt so estranged from her. I had the same feeling, but even stronger, when God was testing me.”
“How did all of that testing affect your thinking?”
“Instead of answering your question, Saul, let me ask you a question. Since the testing began, have you continued to love, trust, and seek God? And have you continued believing that God is real, no matter what you have been feeling?”
Saul searched his heart before answering and then shared, “I feel like an abandoned child, needing someone to pick me up and hold me.” Saul sniffed and then cleared his throat before saying, “I don’t ever remember praying as hard as I have these last four days.”
“God has not left you abandoned on some doorstep, Saul. He sees your struggle and hears every word of your prayers, and I believe it is because you and others have prayed through this time of testing. I would hate to think how long your testing could take if you were not praying.”
Here are encouraging words from a man who has experienced his own heartache from people, but given an even stronger resolve to love God more passionately. I encourage you to pick up a copy of Stark’s Walkout; it not only glorifies the Lord and constantly points to him, but is a great book that makes you answer searching questions in your own life.
Daniel Parkins 