Subtitled perfectly, Susan E. Isaacs Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir delivers what it promises. Raw from beginning to end, this is a delightful read. Imagine a series of counseling sessions between a disgruntled single woman and God mediated by a Christian counselor. Susan structures each chapter as such. Her relationships with Christian men, with her father, and with God all unravel and interweave in this delightful narrative.
A few key themes emerge through the witty episodes that culminate in profound revelations about God's character within Susan's personal journey that instructs us all.
1. Susan has to determine whether the voice of God in the sessions is really God's or her image of God. This is a key distinction that is not so obvious and may offend some readers if it is not presented from the outset. She is not looking to expand upon Biblical revelation. This is a personal memoir written creatively to include God's voice as a character. It is hardly intended to be a definitive account of God speaking, however the entire work evinces God speaking. In other words, take the whole story as God's voice, not just individual statements. God can easily be misrepresented if this warning is not heeded. This is true not just for Susan, but for all Christians. Our understanding of God's tone and word usage may not be directly from Him, but from the misconstrued images we hold of Him.
2. Relationships have been screwed up in the church. Christian women have been dealt a raw deal in the past few decades. Susan's struggle to find a man worth dating in the wild and varied scenes on both coasts in Los Angeles and in New York is surely not unique. One would imagine in two of the major metropolises our country boasts there would be a good man worth marrying, right? Susan's frustrations with Christian dating and temptations by non-Christian men illustrates this all too common weakness in many Christian singles scenes. Susan presents the female perspective provocatively, which is a priceless account for Christian men to absorb. Hey guys do you want to know what a Christian woman is thinking about and expecting from a relationship? Here's the story for you. Angry Conversations is a great tool for mixed groups to talk about navigating expectations in Christian relationships. Susan does not hold back any punches, delving into touchy topics like the reasons why premarital sex within a Christian relationship robs each member.
3. Susan's story is our story. She just has the guts to air out her dirty laundry for us all to read and say, "Yeah, I've done that." Upon commending her for her candor, Susan responded rather profoundly: "I try to operate on the adage, 'you're only as sick as your secrets.'" Thank you Susan for being a healthy example of personal transparency.
This is a treasure that will go down with the great counseling books of the early twenty-first century. If you are stuck in your relationship with God or with your significant other, this may just be what you need to move forward - some of your own angry conversations.
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