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Book Review… A Union with the Divine
Book: Beautiful Ebony
Author: Yaundeen Wright
Critic: Dr Glenville Ashby
Yaundeen Wright is an emotive writer. With soaring conviction she seals her commitment to Jesus – her God. He is her friend, benefactor, counsel and armour. In pain she turns to him; in joy her gaze is steadfast.
Hers is an intimate relationship that knows no bounds. She is a religious bride, unmoved by the vagaries of life. She welcomes tribulations, mindful that we are sometimes tested. She draws strength from these moments and is never tempted to question God’s wisdom. Her intuition has sharpened over the years. Gone are her sensibilities. She no longer believes. She is ever confident of God’s love. She knows.
In her opening salvo, she invokes the spirit of Solomon 1:5 – “Dark am I yet lovely, daughters of Jerusalem…”
Of her uniqueness she is convinced. “I am symphony…I am special…I am rare…I am special.”
She is pained when ties with a boyfriend are loosened. This only drives her into the arms of her Lord. Spiritually, she is married to Jesus, an indissoluble union. She affirms, “I am persuaded to pursue Jesus until the very door of death.”
She is neither swayed by cultural zeitgeist or pressure from peers. God has called her to impart knowledge to others. A professionally trained teacher she is determined to become. And she excels.
She bucks the trend disavowing the traditional mode of prayer. She is no longer your orthodox supplicant. This is arguably the most thought-provoking juncture in her narrative. She writes, “I am through dictating to God to heal, to deliver and provide for me or for others. After all, God is no celestial waiter who stands ready to take my order. Why should I recite “microwave prayers” of instant gratification when God uses “the fire” of our circumstances for our own good, to save us from ourselves and for His glory…Embracing hardships has a mysterious way of enriching our relationship with God and with others.”
And later, she cements her argument – “Countless times we go through circumstances that cloud our judgment and we become overwhelmed by our own emotions. Rest assured that we endure adversity not for our own sake but rather so we can become helpful instruments in the lives of others.”
Equally significant is the unswerving trust she has in her Lord. “I know enough not to worry. Worrying is an insult to God.”
Marriage, which is covered substantively in this work, is inextricably bound to faith, according to Wright. “A good marriage is perhaps equivalent to Heaven on earth and a bad marriage to hell on earth. Marriage is a lifetime thing – ’til death do us part! God hates divorce.”
Marriage is a sacrament, not a flippant undertaking. And in detail she recaptures that sacred moment – her wedding – her vows.
“My successful marriage takes three: God, Deleon [husband] and me. Our wedding will not be a showcase – not a “big bashment” – but a sacred occasion to celebrate our union.”
And when her marriage is weighed down by stress, Wright clings to her God. “In the evil day,” she writes, “it’s not just about my love, reverence and commitment to and for Deleon; because when all of that becomes inadequate or even momentarily nonexistent, it is my love, reverence and commitment to and for my God that will hold my marriage together.”
She later concedes that it is natural to be attracted to others, but she counters with her determination to “exercise self control, loyalty, restraint and even “Total Assassination.” A relationship between a husband and wife should reflect the relationship between Christ and His Church.”
For sure, Wright will have a fair amount of detractors, especially non-Christians, and others who bristle at her uncompromising, dogmatic theology. Written with inexorable zeal, Beautiful Ebony will still prove an interestingly vexing read for naysayers.
Beautiful Ebony by Yaundeen Wright
Publisher: Xlibris, USA
ISBN: 978-1-5144-9219-2
Available at Amazon
Ratings: Recommended
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