Jesus Shines Through

Title: Jesus Shines Through
Author: Phillip Cohen
Major Themes: Abuse, Hippies, Mennonites
Synopsis: A lifetime of abuse and repression left Phillip scarred inside and out; would he ever find healing and freedom?

When I received the offer of a review copy of Jesus Shines Through by Phillip Cohen, I was sure I had heard that name before. The synopsis of this book sounded quite intriguing. My own parents came out of the hippie culture and joined a “plain” church, so that made the story appealing, as well as it being the story of a person who came through great struggles to find Jesus.

As a boy, Phil lived in fear. He lived in fear of his life and fear that his father would kill his mother. He believed that the violence and turmoil in his home must be a result of something bad in him. When he found himself, at the age of 13, in a prison cell, he started to wonder if that was this first step toward dying in the gutter as his father kept telling him he would. By the time he was in his early 20s, he had been in many parts of the United States and even in Mexico, searching for meaning in his life. Drugs didn’t help him, strange religions and living in hippie communes did nothing to fill the emptiness inside.

When Phil met some Mennonites, he saw what he wanted: happy families. Very quickly, however, he found himself trapped again. This time, he was caught in an ultra-conservative Anabaptist church, which emphasized rules rather than love. By the time he had been there 20 years, he was so depressed he couldn’t see any way out. Then finally, light started breaking through the darkness that surrounded him.

I found Jesus Shines Through to be a very sad story. Not only Phillip, but so many others like him are failed by the churches that should be taking them in and loving them. Instead, these hurting people end up being driven away. Phillip spent his whole life searching for happiness, peace and love—what would it take for him to find them? Was it possible for him to find a God who could heal him and those like him? Unfortunately, I recognized, in the religious system he found himself bound in, similarities to other religious settings I have personally seen. It is very sad to see the damage heavy-handed leaders can do when they demand obedience to their rules as a condition of salvation—but encouraging to see how God can heal people when they turn to Him. I also greatly appreciated the conclusion that Phillip came to eventually, that the job God had for him was not full-time pastor, teacher, or counsellor, but businessman. God needs people to shine for Him in daily life!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

WARNING: Chapter 1: Man chokes and batters a woman, beats a boy, and a baby dies. Chapter 3: More description of man trying to kill woman, woman attempts suicide repeatedly, man beats boy and tries to cut off his fingers. Chapter 4: Woman attempts suicide. Chapter 10: Drugs, promiscuity, man punches another. Chapter 11: Thoughts about murdering someone, suicidal thoughts. Chapter 18: Man is shot. Chapter 24: Child is physically abused.

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