Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need

Pastor Platt (Radical) shares his own experiences trying to live more outwardly and compassionately—and asks readers to do the same—in this affecting evangelistic travelogue through the Himalayas. Composed as an eight-day personal journal, Platt’s emotional account combines several trips into a single cohesive story. Using his experiences as examples, Platt urges readers to recognize their own personal potential and God-ordained obligation to invest in making a positive difference in the world. While he encounters much hospitality and beauty on his travels, Platt also engages with extreme poverty, including children sold into the sex trade, villagers with inadequate medical care who suffer from profound physical ailments, and impoverished parents accused of child neglect. Though these encounters lead Platt to preach a strong message for global evangelism, the pastor also shares his spiritual struggles as he questions the heart of God, the reality of hell, and whether spiritual needs outweigh physical ones. Platt’s message isn’t new, but his diaristic approach (which includes many sketches) is engaging and effective. Platt’s storytelling ease combined with the lure of a vicarious trek through the Himalayas will appeal to readers of Christian living. [em](Sept.) [/em]