Barnabas File

Even when a novel is on the New York Times Best Seller list and is picked up by various book clubs, I am usually rather skeptical about whether it will appeal to me or not.     However, when several friends recommended Theo of Golden to me, I decided to give it a try.     Actually, I bought it in March and just read it in August.    Once I started, I was hooked.   Author Allen Levi shares the story a mysterious stranger who arrives in the city of Golden, Georgia, and begins investing in the lives of people there.  Levi weaves together various themes—faith, nature, art, music, relationships—to illustrate the impact that one individual can make in the lives of others.  He reminds us not only of the power of generosity but of compassion as well.  He does not ignore the ugliness and chaos present in even a small community but reminds us that love and faith make a difference in any circumstance.   To share just one exampl...

“ All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ”—Acts 2:44-45, NIV This passage in Acts portrays the Christian church at its best.   Some have sought to turn this passage into an example of proto-communism, but the message is much more profound. The believers who made up the church in Jerusalem at this time were a very diverse group of people.   Many had come to Jerusalem from many places for the Feast of Pentecost.   When some were converted through Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost, they stayed on in the city to receive the apostles’ teaching.   Of course, they had not planned for such an extended stay, so many found themselves in physical need. Some have interpreted the passage to mean that everyone sold all they had, put it in a big pile, and then they distributed it equally.   The meaning is more powerful than that simple process.   These peo...