The Homeless Bishop, by Joseph Girzone

I've been a Joseph Girzone fan for over fifteen years, since my wife read one of the Joshua books in a women's Bible study group.  We were a new couple, and I moved my church membership over to her long-time church, where she was in a very strong small group.  After reading that first Joshua book after she had finished it, I checked the rest out of the Oldham County Public Library and devoured them.  Then, several years later, my wife bought me the movie version of the first book in the series, when I didn't even know one had been made.  It's probably been the movie we've shown to the most people, and in fact was the first one we showed at Drennon after arriving there in 2009.  Bottom line, I love Joseph Girzone and the books he's poured his heart and his faith into, probably as much or more than any other Christian writer.

Somehow I saw online that he had written a new book outside the Joshua series, The Homeless Bishop.  The premise followed just what the title implies, so I was hooked immediately.  When we bought our Kindle for Christmas, it was the first book I actually spent money on (Mom and Dad had given us an Amazon gift card, so it wasn't really money).  The Homeless Bishop has to be one of the top five Christian books I have ever read.  From the first page to the last, I totally "got" what Girzone was trying to say:  we need to live a Christian life down in the trenches, just like He did.  We don't need to sit high on thrones of glory and piety, but instead need to minister to "the least of these". 

This book deals a lot with the structure of and leadership of the Catholic church.  I am not a Catholic, but also feel a "we're on the same team" camaradie with that particular denomination.  I learned a lot, and also respect how Girzone, a retired Catholic priest, was willing to push the envelope and challenge some of the more thought-provoking Catholic policies, such as clergy celibacy.  I fully think this is a book any Christian can and should read.  To me, it's a potentially life-changing book, an opportunity for Christians to come closer to Him, as well as respect and love one another better.

I look forward to Joseph Girzone's next literary endeavor, and will surely read it as soon as I can get my hands on it, either hard copy or Kindle.