"The Truth Will Set You Free" by Samuel L. Hoard

This autobiography was a wonderful read.  It shows so beautifully how a person's religious beliefs and their behavior can and should meld together.  And it has some really good discussion of the doctrine of vocation, what it means to live out the different roles God calls you to.

Black minister Samuel L. Hoard details his struggle to get accepted to a Lutheran seminary in the 1940s, his work during the Civil Rights movements of the 1950s, and his stint as a military chaplain serving in Vietnam during the 1960s.  It also discusses his parish ministry work and how strongly he believed that integrated churches are the best option.  Black and white parishioners should worship side-by-side in the same congregations, not be separated by force or by choice.  Rev. Hoard worked hard to live his life as a testimony to his belief that Christ died to save everyone and loves everyone equally.  Whether that meant participating in a Civil Rights demonstration or praying with a dying soldier in the middle of a battle, he did what he was called to do.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to read about the struggle for equality from the perspective of a Christian.  Or to anyone who isn't sure how to fight against prejudice and injustice in a loving, Christ-like way!

Particularly Good Bits:

While I have pity for and sometimes anger against those who are racist, I cannot hate them (p. 11).

I learned from these conversations that if a person -- white or black -- is determined to keep a closed mind and be prejudiced, there is nothing much that can be done or said (p. 39).

The United States isn't perfect; it still has many social problems, racism being a major one.  But seeing the Berlin Wall made me deeply grateful for the liberties enjoyed by all Americans, black as well as white (p. 137-38).

If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG for describing the violence and bloodshed of war in a gentle way, and for tackling some difficult and fairly grown-up issues.  It is not something young children would read, but it is definitely something high school students would benefit from!

This is my tenth book read from my TBR shelves for #TheUnreadShelfProject2023.