Article by Cameron Spink

 

"Change is not the absence of struggles; change is the freedom to choose holiness in the midst of our struggles." - Christopher Yuan

 

I stumbled on this book last month (on Amazon) and the overwhelming excellent reviews made me immediately tab over to bookdepository and buy a copy for $14.15. This was money well-spent and I cannot commend this book more highly.

 

Out Of A Far Country is a multi-perspective story on the radical changes that occur in a family that has been torn apart by some of the lies that society tells us. Christopher Yuan is an intelligent young man who rejects his family after succumbing to his homosexual desires. He throws himself into a lifestyle of sex and drugs at the expense of his family and his career.

 

Angela Yuan lives in a loveless marriage and all her hopes are pinned upon her youngest son Christopher finishing his dentistry course and joining the family business. Unfortunately, her world is turned upside down when she finds a gay porn magazine hidden away. Upon confronting Christopher she offers him an ultimatum, choose family or homosexuality. Christopher does not think twice about his decision as he is heading for the door.

 

Here's where the power of this story starts. Both of these family members have a long journey of redemption ahead of them. Angela, upon her son's rejection, contemplates and even instigates a plan to commit suicide. It is upon Romans 8:38-39 that she stumbles on that fateful day:

 

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 

Suddenly there is hope in her story. Instead of facing despair Angela is confronted with the immense power of God's Holy Spirit. Her life, her purpose is redefined and she lets go of her idea of a perfect family and starts to earnestly seek God's will in her life. The timing of this event is very important because it is not long before Christopher hits rock bottom. He is caught red-handed by the DEA and receives a long sentence for selling drugs. What is worse, while in prison, he is diagnosed as HIV+.

 

Yet God has not abandoned this wreck of a man. Angela is in constant and earnest prayer for her son and the effects of her love for him begin to show as Christopher is slowly brought to salvation. This is an uplifting story about two prodigals who find their paths bringing them home. Neither Angela nor Christopher wanted anything to do with Christianity, in fact, they felt a fair degree of animosity towards religion. Perhaps that is what makes this transformation so amazing. God meticulously leads these two rebels from the heart of despair, from the wilderness and brings them back to a life of purpose.

 

A 200-page book probably doesn't do these two people's life stories justice. Though perhaps this is a perfectly captivating length. The language is also simplistic yet steeped in raw emotions. We can feel the devastation because these people did really go through the bleak and emerge victorious.

 

No doubt this will be written off by those condemning ex-gays from speaking of their journey out of homosexuality. However, this story is more than that. This story resonates because we were/are all lost, far from home, and desolate. Yet hope transcends our situation and this book gives a very clear sense of God's plan coming to fruition in the life of one family. This brings hope to us all.

 

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