I finally finished a book I've been working on for awhile: Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I heard about this allegorical book at a ladies' conference that was held at my church. The speaker was speaking on a difficult time in her life and how this book was instrumental in her life. The book piqued my interest, so I went home and ordered it from Amazon knowing I would never find it in any store.
Much-Afraid is a young woman with a disfigured face and crippled feet. She lives in the Valley of Humiliation near her family, the Fearings. Her family tries to force her to marry her cousin Craven Fear. She refuses to marry Craven Fear and meanwhile develops a close friendship with The Shepherd of the Valley. The Shepherd promises her she can become beautiful and leap about the mountain on hinds feet if she follows him. After her family tries to stop her, Much-Afraid manages to follow the Shepherd to the High Places on an intense journey. All along the journey she is met with danger and despair. The Shepherd, however, appears whenever she needs him most. I'd tell you how the book ends, but that would ruin all the fun of reading it for yourself.
I went into this book a bit skeptical. I was afraid it was full of Catholic doctrine and teachings because the speaker who was talking about this book originally read it when she was a Catholic and loved it. I don't want to be a Catholic-basher, but I disagree with much of the Catholic church's teachings and practices. This is not to say that no Catholic will make it to Heaven. So, some of my objectivity was a bit skewed going into this book.
I noticed that there were sections of the book of Canticles quoted throughout the book. I started feeling guilty that I was reading quoted material from the Apocrypha. I was sure that the book of Canticles was an Apocryphal book. I was complaining to my husband about it, and then he mentioned that it was another name for Song of Solomon, which is not Apocryphal. I Googled it, and sure enough it is another name for Song of Solomon. Oops. I should have known that. I probably would have enjoyed the book more if I had known that from the beginning.
I do think the author took some Scripture out of context in order to fit it into her allegory. For example, at the end of the book Much-Afraid says "My Lord, behold me--here I am, in the place thou didst send me to--doing the thing thou didst tell me to do, for where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me" (p. 113). The second half of this quote comes from Ruth 1:17. Ruth is not speaking to the Lord here. She's speaking to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and is telling her that she will not leave her. I think Hunard should have just made up dialog for Much-Afraid rather than use Scripture out of context.
I'm not sure if the allegory of this book is totally theologically accurate. Nothing stood out to me as being grossly against Scripture. There were, however, a few lines that struck me as potentially wrong. As with every biblical allegory there are going to be some plot elements that don't quite line up with Scripture. I do know that I did benefit from reading this book.
Lately I've really been wrestling with trusting God's plan. I know he can do anything. I just don't know what sort of suffering he's going to put me through. This book, along with my daily reading of the Psalms has helped me to understand that God's way is perfect. His timing is perfect. He may not answer my prayers the way I want him to, but he WILL help me get through whatever trial that comes my way. A little analogy that I thought up the other day helps me to understand this a little better. Trusting God is like taking medicine with a lot of side effects. The medicine helps you with your main health problem. You just might have to put up with a few minor discomforts along the way. With God, our main problem is we are sinners destined for Hell. He rescues us from that destination when we choose to follow him instead. We might have to put up with difficulties in our Christian life, but it will be worth it all in the end when we spend eternity with him in Heaven.
I like how Much-Afraid puts it at the end of the novel on p. 128: "Therefore I begin to think, my Lord, you purposely allow us to be brought into contact with the bad and evil things that you want changed. Perhaps that is the very reason that we are here in this world, where sin and sorrow and suffering and evil abound, so that we may let you teach us so to react to them..." The rest of the quote is a little wishy-washy, so I'll leave that part out. But the first few lines are spot on. I would also add that we are here to glorify God and to share the great news of his love for us to all mankind.
So, do I recommend this book? I suppose so. Just read it with caution. The Bible is to be our sole authority for the Christian life, not some human-penned book. Another thing to keep in mind is that Hannah Hurnard seemed to have strayed from the faith towards the end of her life. She began believing in universal salvation, reincarnation, and other new-age ideals. I don't think her later life completely negates Hinds Feet. I do, however, think it is something for readers to keep in the back of their minds when reading her work.
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