The Visitation
by Frank Peretti

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christian thriller

When supernatural religious sightings occur in a small town, former pastor Travis Jordan isn’t interested in getting involved. But then a man claiming to be Jesus Christ, though without necessarily saying those words, takes a special interest in Travis. While the national media and many pilgrims flock to the town looking for a certain brand of spiritual awakening, Travis is headed toward a confrontation that might test everything he’s ever believed.

I read this book many years ago, when I was a teenager or young adult, and I remember not caring for it all that much. While reading it again now, I came to realize that, most likely, I didn’t fully get it back then. I’m not saying that this book can only be appreciated by someone who grew up in the church, is old enough to have seen many years of “church stuff,” and has become disillusioned by it, but I think it helps a lot. Travis’s church background reminds me quite a bit of the types of churches I grew up in and the movement my family traveled to take part in, and for all of the promises and flash promised, it’s really easy to lose God in all of that. That is what Travis is dealing with as his small town becomes a mecca for those who are looking for healing and inspiration, but not necessarily salvation.

The vehicle for this plot, though, is the man with scars on his wrists who mostly provides what people are looking for. Local clergy debate whether or not his deeds are from God, and though this is a small town, there are a lot of different churches, though it doesn’t appear that many of them are biblically sound. This might be normal, but it makes me really sad. In fact, the whole book made me sad, and what makes the story all the more realistic is that there isn’t exactly a “happy ending” for the bulk of the people. I’d say the main takeaway from this is a reminder to not let tradition and religious trappings get in the way of what Christianity should be—a relationship with Jesus. Peretti’s signature writing style brings suspense to the story, and while I think the subject matter isn’t going to be for everyone, if it sounds like something you’re interested in, I definitely recommend it.

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