Review: A Distant Grief: The Real Story Behind the Martyrdom of Christians in Uganda

A Distant Grief: The Real Story Behind the Martyrdom of Christians in Uganda
A Distant Grief: The Real Story Behind the Martyrdom of Christians in Uganda by F. Kefa Sempangi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is the author’s account of Christian faith, joy, courage, suffering, and martyrdom during Idi Amin’s reign of terror in the early 70’s in Uganda. So many is those days faced death daily. Sempangi tells of how people would claim to be converted and they quit asking them if they believed in Jesus Christ and rather asked, “Are you ready to die for Jesus Christ?”

He writes of the work going on in his own heart and life during these times. It was chilling to read of how he narrowly escaped, only by God’s grace, and went to seminary at Westminster in Philadelphia. He reveled in the study and discussions, but found himself drifting into an intellectual Christianity without the fire and zeal of his days in Uganda. It is a constant struggle we Christians face as we seek to have our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength engaged in the love, study, communion, worship, and work of God.

I highly recommend this book. It is also a valuable historical account of a time the author lived through.

View all my reviews

About Jeff Short