The need is clear, and the mandate is clear. It’s time for the church to stand up and be counted. This is not just a message to those who have the time or the finances, but to everyone.

Take this seriously 

Krish Kandiah has delivered a resource that the church needs to take incredibly seriously. In his book Home for Good, Kandiah explores the subject of adoption and the church’s response to the mandate given by God to 'take care of the orphan' (James 1:27), and His promise that the 'lonely will be placed in families' (Psalm 68:6).

Framed with heart warming examples from his own and others'  lives, who have either adopted or been adopted, alongside hard hitting statistics and commentary, Kandiah presents passages from the bible which support his points beautifully. This book will not only tug at your emotions but will stimulate your mind. It will challenge you to respond to and reflect upon the adoptive father-heart of God.

The challenge 

His challenge is a simple one. Every Christian should be involved in adoption. He says:

'If every church in the country supported one adoptive/foster family through their application and placement, we would potentially increase the chance of that placement working. Imagine the impact that each church, made up of one carer family and lots of supporters, could have.'

More than statistics

Kandiah goes onto explore some of the heart breaking statistics that reflect the reality of thousands of lives across the world. In the UK there are 50 thousand children on child protection registers, with one child entering the care system every 22 minutes. What’s more, at any one time four thousand children are waiting to be adopted. Add this to the fact that 20 percent of adoptions in the UK fail each year, the statistics are not looking good. These are real people. The need to find suitable fostering and adoption environments is greater than ever before, and the potential impact that the church could have on society is huge.

Transforming Lives 

The reader is left with three simple questions which could be life transforming:

1. To what extent are we as individuals in tune with God’s heart, that pulses through every book of the bible, for the vulnerable?

2. Where are the opportunities for us as individuals and families to put into practice the compassion of God, by meeting the needs of vulnerable children in our communities?

3. What would happen if we as the Church rediscovered our own adoption story and took seriously our adoption mandate?

The foreword to the book by Rob Parsons (Care for the Family) is a helpful one:

'Weaving together two strands: they [Krish and Miriam] give us a window into the world of hurting, scared children, who just want to be part of a family, and they also open up to us more understanding of God’s heart for each one of us.'

Time to DO something 

Home for Good is more than a call for the church to complain about injustice, it’s even more than a call for the church to pray about injustice. This book is a call to act and respond. Home for Good is a call for the church to stretch out its arms, open its hands, look into the face of thousands of children in desperate need, and actually get on and do something about it. 

It’s time for the church to join in with God’s plan.

_______________________________ 

Book review by Joel Mennie, April 2013