A River in Darkness

A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea
By: Masaji Ishikawa

This was a captivating and heart-wrenching account of one man's escape from the devastation of North Korea. North Korea has been somewhat of an enigma for me.

I obviously knew of the corruption and the poor living conditions for the citizens there, and the psychotic leaders they have had. But this book filled in a lot of gaps and it's worse there than you could have imagined.

It makes me sick to my stomach to hear how Ishikawa had to survive and take care of his family. And the circumstances even following his escape break your heart. If this book doesn't impassion you to want to do something for people in North Korea, I don't know what could.

And that's where this book left me- feeling a little helpless. It's obviously not an easy place to offer aid. One overwhelming feeling expressed in this book is hopelessness. The people of North Korea have no hope. No light at the end of the tunnel. They've been lied to and beaten down and no opportunity to better their standing or their life. Everything is a lose-lose situation. They have nothing to live for.

But hopelessness has a very real and powerful antidote: Hope. Eternal hope. Hope that is imperishable, unfading, unblemished, and kept in Heaven for us. No one can take it from you.

Earth and it's sufferings are temporary, but hope and life in Heaven is forever.

That's what the people of North Korea need more than anything else.

I don't know how to physically bring them this good news, but the Holy Spirit has ultimate authority and no boundaries and can reach even the most isolated people. So I can pray for them. I can pray that God reveals himself and his hope to people who are trapped in abandonment and despair.

Ishikawa's story breaks my heart, his bitterness comes from a very real place and no one can blame any of them for sinking into such a dark emotional place, but we don't have to leave them there.

We can offer hope. And I think that's the most important takeaway from this book- people need the Good News. Period.