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kcrouth's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a collection of anecdotes and meditations based on the experiences of the author in his founding and leadership role in Rutba House, a hospitality house located in the Walltown neighborhood of Durham NC. A hospitality house is a place that offers friendship, food and shelter, and most importantly, love, to anyone who knocks at the door. The personal stories of the Rutba House family are moving and inspiring, and offer a deeper perspective into my neighbors here in Durham. This book is a very worthy read, which can't help but leaving the reader asking ways they can open the door to the folks around them, and in so doing be changed for the better. The chapter "Fire in my Bones" is especially compelling and moving, and shows how little i understand of those living so close by. But the entire book opens the reader's perspective, and offers a glimpse into our brothers and sisters, and of the political and religious systems which are largely failing them. This book resonates well with the previous book i read - Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbairn - which gave a detailed and intimate view into the life of a young African American man and his family as he grew up in the pre-civil rights period in the U.S.
leevoncarbon's review against another edition
4.0
This book teaches not through social or political theory or analysis of biblical texts, but through stories. It is such a simple plan: identify yourself as a hospitality house, open your door to whoever knocks, and believe that Jesus accompanies every guest. The neighbourhood in which the author and his wife chose to live means that most of their guests come with all sorts of brokenness but one of the startling things is how the grace of God remains evident in the darkest places, how it is the well ordered together people who often have the most to learn, and how love never fails to make a difference. There is no idealism in this book. Dostoevsky is quoted knowingly at the end of the book: "Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams". It is hard for me to imagine my wife and I moving into a troubled neighbourhood, but I can imagine us opening the door of the house where we live a little more readily.
sde's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very fast read despite the topic - a white, college-educated couple moves to a rough neighborhood in Durham, NC and open a hospitality house. I felt the story was honest enough about showing the author's foibles, yet was upbeat without being sanctimonious.
However, there is so much more I want to know. How do he and his family make money? How does he deal with the fact that possible criminals are living in the house with his kids? I wanted more of the troubles described. It seemed a bit too easy in the book, which I am sure it is not. Mostly, I want to know how he deals with his faith and keeps going with this endeavor when I am sure he faces all sorts of trials and doubts.
However, there is so much more I want to know. How do he and his family make money? How does he deal with the fact that possible criminals are living in the house with his kids? I wanted more of the troubles described. It seemed a bit too easy in the book, which I am sure it is not. Mostly, I want to know how he deals with his faith and keeps going with this endeavor when I am sure he faces all sorts of trials and doubts.
misslupinelady's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
natattack51's review against another edition
5.0
This book is about seeing Jesus in the stranger. I love the stories of learning and listening from one another, living in grace and redemption together and understanding and working towards justice together. This is an important book. Read it.
voya_k's review against another edition
3.0
I worked with homeless folks at my library for 9 years without knowing what Wilson-Hartgrove was up to at RutBa House in my town. I actually read this book to see if I recognized anybody. While I couldn't clock any specific folks, I definitely recognized our community in these pages.
ncwalker2000's review against another edition
4.0
Inspiring, challenging and humbling at the same time. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove encourages the reader to recognize Jesus in the "distressing disguise of the poor." His analogy of carefully greeting the stranger and testing to see if it is Jesus (a la Matt 25) is one I will never forget.
serenam's review
4.0
What would happen if you moved your young family to a ‘dangerous’ neighborhood and opened the door to everyone who knocked? What if, instead of a homeless drug addict, you saw Jesus standing on the front porch? Jonathan and his wife, Leah, moved to the Walltown neighborhood of Durham, NC, to start a hospitality house where the fatherless, widows, hungry and homeless could become a part of the family.
Jonathan does not preach through this book—he doesn’t tell us all to go out and start our own hospitality houses. Rather, he simply strives to share the lessons he’s learned about Jesus and our broken society through the people he’s met on this journey. There are meals shared, stories told, prayers lifted and struggles overcome. But there are failures among the victories, because no family is without faults. Laptops are stolen, trust is broken and friends disappear.
I devoured the first half of this book in one sitting, and then stretched the rest over the following three or four days, working it in around other commitments. For some of you that may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but it’s been quite some time since I’ve finished a book in less than two weeks. Which, of course, means Strangers at My Door is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it.
(I won this book in a Goodreads first reads giveaway! All opinions expressed above are my own.)
*This review was originally posted to poetree.
Jonathan does not preach through this book—he doesn’t tell us all to go out and start our own hospitality houses. Rather, he simply strives to share the lessons he’s learned about Jesus and our broken society through the people he’s met on this journey. There are meals shared, stories told, prayers lifted and struggles overcome. But there are failures among the victories, because no family is without faults. Laptops are stolen, trust is broken and friends disappear.
I devoured the first half of this book in one sitting, and then stretched the rest over the following three or four days, working it in around other commitments. For some of you that may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but it’s been quite some time since I’ve finished a book in less than two weeks. Which, of course, means Strangers at My Door is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it.
(I won this book in a Goodreads first reads giveaway! All opinions expressed above are my own.)
*This review was originally posted to poetree.
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