Looking for something different? Check out Dale Recinella‘s challenging true story: Now I Walk on Death Row: A Wall Street Finance Lawyer Stumbles into the Arms of a Loving God.
Dale is an engaging storyteller. At one point, you are immersed in the luxurious world of a driven attorney closing next-to-impossible deals representing millions of dollars and reaping the prestige that comes along with it all. But things change as he begins to ponder the story of the rich young lawyer in Mark 10:17-25: “Did Jesus mean what he said?”
The rest of the book takes you to various locations around the United States and Europe, as he and his wife intentionally seek to live out the teachings of Jesus. Eventually, he ends up ministering to Florida prisoners on death row, where he finally begins to see himself and other people from God’s perspective.
One simple, yet thought-provoking section involved Dave’s growing impatience with sweaty, neighborhood kids coming to the door for water. But recalling his past, he thought, “How many hours have I spent in the past two decades sitting in bars, buying drinks for the rich and powerful?” Then he remembered Jesus’ words in Matthew 25: “I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…you did it for me.”
I was initially drawn to this book by Dallas Willard‘s name, prominently written on the cover. In the foreword, he wrote:
“Now I Walk On Death Row is a shocking book. It will make you uncomfortable. But if you are not uncomfortable in this world, you haven’t yet seen it as it is.”
This could take a few days to read. Not because it’s too long (317 pages), but because you may begin to ponder aspects of your own life while reading about the things the Lord taught Dale as he learned to serve in humility and sacrificially love those whom the world has rejected.
Want to check out the opening section? Look inside this book on Amazon.com