Sound harsh? Maybe. But the author of Breaking Through writes that "as common as worms are in the dirt, they are as rare and precious as fine diamonds in the church." Worms are people who allow themselves to be broken and humbled as they model Christ's character; they seek to serve rather than to assert their power or authority. As a result, they become leaders and reconcilers between man and God, between races and nations-taking God's Kingdom into the culture.
Boone inspires readers to choose the worm's path of humility, recounting the stories of faithful church fathers, such as William Seymour. Possibly the most important African American religious leader in U.S. history, Seymour suffered humiliating discrimination by so-called believers when he was forced to sit in the hall outside a classroom of white students, to learn about the Bible. Instead of growing bitter, he started multiracial prayer groups, which eventually led to the Azusa Street revival, an explosion of millions of Pentecostal believers.
Known for his ability to bridge racial gaps, Boone challenges the black and white communities to consider worm training as a key to their reconciliation. Rather than cling to pride and refuse to identify with their forefathers, the white community needs to humble itself and ask forgiveness, says Boone. And instead of scorning their past, the black community can look redemptively at their history: The "training in being a slave of man . . .can be added as long-term qualification to prepare them to be a fine slave of God or to rule as a king."
A frequent speaker at Promise Keepers conventions, Boone tackles unmentionable subjects with abandon in Breaking Through. "The black community must stop criticizing Uncle Tom," he writes. "He is a role model who, when he was stepped on like a worm, at the point of crisis, evidenced the nature of the classic, model worm, Jesus." Rather than accuse Uncle Tom of selling out, Boone charges readers to sell out themselves until there is nothing left-"not the domination of your culture, not your coloring, not your gender, not your denomination."
Worm training isn't the only step toward filling our hunger for something more in life. Prayer and the study of God's Word are also critical elements in discerning God's will, carrying out God's plan of reconciliation, and experiencing revival. So important is knowing Scripture, in fact, that Boone includes a "Blessed beyond Measure" devotional guide in an appendix to the book.
Boone's message is urgent in Breaking Through: He believes this is a dark hour in which he is declaring the coming of God's Kingdom. Yet his message is not one of condemnation or destruction. Instead, Boone reaches out with love and hope. He asks readers, "Are you hungry? broken? dispossessed? God is calling you by name, waiting to blow a fresh breeze of fulfillment into your life." All we have to do is respond to His call by embracing His vision for our lives, our families, the world.
Susan Salmon Trotman is an editor and reviewer living in Nashville, TN.
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