A Review of the Book "God's Country" by Brad Roth

Title: God's Country

Author: Brad Roth

Publisher: Herald Press

Year: 2017

219 pages

Summary on the back: Rural places are often seen as insular and declining, all pickup trucks and gas stations with no gas. The young folks have moved, and pastors preach to graying saints. Last one to leave, turn out the lights. That's not the full story, but neither is the nostalgic vision of amber waves of grain, quaint streets, and the bucolic family farm. Neither story meets rural communities and congregations on their own terms, and neither recognizes that God inhabits and redeems rural places.

Personal Thoughts: As it says above, rural communities are more than just what people imagine them to be. In fact, they are the sum of their parts. People look out for one another and they work together to make life good for themselves and each other. Historically, pastors were sent out into the wilderness on their first call to learn how to be a priest before being called back into the city. The thought of working your way into the city as a kind of promotion in the ranks of clergy is unfair to everyone. As pastors, we need to ensure we aren't going into a rural call thinking that we're going to "fix things". There's nothing to fix! Roth explains in this book that rather than fixers, rural communities need friends. They are often neglected and considered junior to urban centres. However, us city folk could learn a thing or two from our rural counterparts, like growing our own food, being grateful for the land, and caring for our neighbour.

Roth writes an easy-to-read book that gets you caring about those who live outside the perimeter of your urban city, reminding you where you food comes from, reminding you what it truly means to leave the neighbour, and reminding you what it means to be a family - whether through blood or choice.

If you are wondering what it's like to live out faithful life in a rural community, reading this book is an excellent start.