The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Paul P. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Reading - Book Report on Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner
Over the years, the church has been declared more and more a triviality in America. Our Christian life and work life are often compartmentalized, and the church tends to discourage its people from having jobs that are held captive by today's culture. In, his book, Roaring Lambs, Bob Briner says that it's time for this to change.
The church has created a hierarchy for the jobs of today, labeling mission work or ministry with the highest spiritual value, and other jobs not directly related to the church as less important. Bob Briner in his book Roaring Lambs instead argues that no job is more important than any other, and that as Christians it is our duty to infiltrate every position and job in this world for the glory of God. The types of jobs he especially stressed were those that had some of the most power over our culture, such as journalism, television or movie production, visual artistry, and book writing.
Now here's the catch: he's not encouraging us just to become a journalist for a Christian newspaper, or a producer for movies targeted at Christian audiences Although there is a place for these. He's challenging us to be salt for the world. That means possibly becoming a writer for the New York Times, or releasing films that are focused at a secular audience as well as well as Christian. In his book, Briner says that the church has created it's own "ghetto", and although it's fairly sturdy in itself, the rest of the world is falling apart. Why? Because a lot of Christian influence has left society, and where the good leaves, you can be sure that evil will replace it. The church has begun to lose its saltiness, and when our flavor is gone, the last of the influence of the church will leave with it.
Bob Briner speaks against boycotts and other forms of protest numerous times in his book; he believes that the more Christians are a protesting people; the more our cause will be ignored. Those that are protesting without offering a solution are not benefiting our society nearly as well as they could be. Instead of simply trying to remove wickedness from our society, he argues that we should create something good that is high quality and attempt to replace the wickedness instead.
I don't know that this book has been specifically a life-changing milestone of a read for me, not every book needs to be. It has, however, been another affirmation of God's leading in all areas, and a great encouragement about the strength God's people really have. One quote that was especially powerful to me regarding this manner was a quote about Amy Grant. He says: "The best way to stop the spread of popular music with its vulgar suggestive lyrics is to record great music that uplifts the human spirit. Christian artist Amy Grant retards the spread of evil every time one of her records plays on a secular station. Those who criticize her for "crossing over" into the secular world with music that is not distinctly Christian forget one thing. Her music takes up the air time that could have gone to one of the multitude of recordings offering only degradation and moral rot. Amy Grant is being salt in the world."
I love that quote. When I read it is when I first realized how realistic a goal it is to slow the spread of evil. And throughout the book Bob Briner begins to show us just how possible this is in all areas of life. All areas. God's people have talent, and creativity, and it's time to start using them for his glory.
There was nothing that I read in his book that I disagreed with, and I think that this is a book that every Christian should read. If not that, then I believe that many of its principles should be taught within the church, and then lived out in the world. The church has an incredible amount of potential yet unrealized by many. Now more than ever is a time for all that to change. America is hungry, and we through Christ have the power to fill them. Let's go out there and show them what were made of. As Bob Briner would have put it, it's time for some lambs to roar!
