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We Go On: Finding Purpose in All of Life’s Sorrows and Joys
Do you often ask the question "What is my purpose in life?" Rich with black-and-white photography, powerful stories, and life-changing reflections from the book of Ecclesiastes, We Go On , by pastor and entrepreneur John Onwuchekwa calls you to find the true answer to the Why am I here? In a world that encourages us to find meaning in temporary things, we long to know that who we are makes a difference after we're gone. This hope-filled exploration of this biblical book of wisdom turns our attention to what our true purpose is and how to let that purpose shape our relationships, career, and life choices. Along with biblical insights, John Onwuchekwa weaves together meaningful challenges that even from difficult beginnings, we can continue to trust God's path. In this book, you'll discover a more meaningful, fulfilling life as you explore themes such Inspiring black-and-white photography paired with a modern cover make this a perfect gift to give to men and women for holidays, graduations, birthdays, new jobs, or to anyone seeking a deeper relationship with God. We Go On will help men and This unique book reminds you that deeper purpose is available as you look beyond your circumstances and find meaning in the God who never changes.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published January 11, 2022
39 people are currently reading
707 people want to read
About the author
John Onwuchekwa
5 books32 followersJohn Onwuchekwa (MA, Dallas Theological Seminary) serves as pastor of Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
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January 25, 2022
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). God knows that life in a fallen world brings trials of various kinds. But being the affectionate Father he is, he promises to provide us with the comfort of his presence as we traverse the valleys of life. And I thank God for John’s pastorally wise and hopeful reflections on endurance in the Christian life...reflections that God used for my own comfort in Him. Reading “We Go On” feels like having a conversation with a good friend, whether you know John or not. His sober reflections, insightful questions, and honest accounting of his own experiences work in tandem with the truths he pulls from Ecclesiastes to create a volume as searching as it is refreshing. "We Go On" is an exercise in hopeful endurance for the Christian––an endurance that is fueled by a good God who is taking the ingredients of our life and cooking up something greater than we could ever imagine. Whether you’re in a season of discouragement or joy, anger or contentedness, apathy or excitement, John’s book will serve your soul well.
June 25, 2022
“Honesty and hope aren’t parallel streets we travel down. They intersect. Which means we don’t have to choose if we’re going to be honest or helpful. We can live at the intersection. We can be both.”
4.5. This personal reflection on Ecclesiastes, written by my friend John Onwuckekwa, brims with poignant insight. Writing as both a pastor and a fellow sufferer, he deploys vivid illustrations to press eternal truths into earthbound hearts. This little book is a big gift.
4.5. This personal reflection on Ecclesiastes, written by my friend John Onwuckekwa, brims with poignant insight. Writing as both a pastor and a fellow sufferer, he deploys vivid illustrations to press eternal truths into earthbound hearts. This little book is a big gift.
July 6, 2024
I remember my first seminary professor, slowly, quietly, and confidently sharing that his favorite book in the Bible was Ecclesiastes. I remember thinking, 'This man is acquainted with sorrow.' A few years later, I realized, 'This man is acquainted with Christ.' And in a profound and initially confusing way, I believe both are true. The longer I walk with Jesus, the more strongly I believe that by the time God’s children enter Heaven, they’ll all have developed a deep love for Ecclesiastes.
We Go On feels like a passing down of family riches from one Christian to the next.
The book reads like a series of pastoral counseling appointments intertwined with a commentary on Ecclesiastes. It felt as if Pastor John Onwuchekwa was inviting me into his office to talk about life. Together, we shared a bittersweet cup of coffee. He shared stories about his life, and he asked about mine. We reminisced about old friendships and dreamed about the ones the Lord is currently forming. We prayed together in gratitude and lament. Pastor Onwuchekwa imparted profound wisdom from the book of Ecclesiastes in a way I had never realized. He gifted me with tried-and-true strategies for growing in godliness. I feel understood, and I feel like I understand.
What a beautiful, artistic, creative, and poetic book. My gratitude to Pastor Temi Agbaje for recommending it to me.
We Go On feels like a passing down of family riches from one Christian to the next.
The book reads like a series of pastoral counseling appointments intertwined with a commentary on Ecclesiastes. It felt as if Pastor John Onwuchekwa was inviting me into his office to talk about life. Together, we shared a bittersweet cup of coffee. He shared stories about his life, and he asked about mine. We reminisced about old friendships and dreamed about the ones the Lord is currently forming. We prayed together in gratitude and lament. Pastor Onwuchekwa imparted profound wisdom from the book of Ecclesiastes in a way I had never realized. He gifted me with tried-and-true strategies for growing in godliness. I feel understood, and I feel like I understand.
What a beautiful, artistic, creative, and poetic book. My gratitude to Pastor Temi Agbaje for recommending it to me.
August 8, 2023
“Ecclesiastes cries with us in our sorrow, in our disappointment. It shares with us in our pain and frustration. It doesn’t give easy answers to difficult questions. It sees things as they really are. But it also doesn’t leave you there.”
“God loves to call the brightest futures out of the darkest circumstances.”
‘We Go On’ was titled by the influence of MLK’s final book called ‘Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?’ John O. helps us move forward—on— with guidance from the book of Ecclesiastes.
This may seem strange at first because we typically just think of the vanity of life when we think of Ecclesiastes. Everything is meaningless! There’s nothing new under the sun! Does it really offer hope?
John says,
“I want to show you that being honest about the seeming meaninglessness of our present joys and sorrows isn’t the same as being hopeless about the future. Honest and hope aren’t parallel streets we travel down. They intersect. Which means we don’t have to choose if we’re going to be honest or hopeful. We can be both. In fact, understanding what really matters today— or what really doesn’t matter— has real consequences for the way you’ll live your life tomorrow, and the next, and the day after that.”
Honest is a good descriptor for John and this book. He shares of his own experiences of the death of his brother, his strained relationship with his other brother, and years of infertility. He never claims to have all the answers. He makes sure to offer the disclaimer that this book is not meant to.
“These are glass pages; they’ll shatter underneath the weight of expectations they were never meant to carry.”
It’s a short read. Plus the book has pictures! I thought they were a special addition and did make it more beautiful than a typical book.
Considering the teachings of Ecclesiastes requires self reflection, and John provides multiple opportunities in each chapter to do so by asking thoughtful questions and encouragement to remember certain things. He also frequently provides prayers. I liked this too because it helps keep the reader focused on our posture before God and our dependence on him.
Okay, Fam (as he calls us readers), there are a couple things that stuck out to me about this book.
First, is John O.’s commitment to clarity.
“It’s about clarity. It’s about seeing things for what they truly are.”
Reality. Which is both bitter and sweet. There are both sorrows and joys. We don’t need to wallow in the downs and we shouldn’t ignore them all together and pretend they don’t exist. We must see the world for what it really is, our lives for what they truly are. Both the good and bad parts.
I appreciate that commitment because I’m tired of false positivity or sugarcoated lies that make us feel better about ourselves or our choices. We need reality.
Second, his illustration about coffee. Which surprised me a bit because I am anti-coffee. I don’t like it and I doubt I ever will. I don’t understand the coffee addicts. . But his illustration was still something that resonated with me.
He considers two ways of looking at life,
“A lot of folks treat life like a cup of coffee. They don’t want to taste the bitterness. They even want to pretend it isn’t there. So, they reach for accomplishments, relationships, and work— anything to make life sweeter, or at least less bitter. And before they know it, life becomes the equivalent of a ‘coffee-flavored’ beverage. It’s not really life, like it’s not really coffee. It’s just “life-flavored.” They want it sweet or not at all.”
“What about those who only see coffee as a means to an end? They don’t care about the flavor; they care about the caffeine. That’s like living in the future tense. It’s always the next thing… It doesn’t distract you. It just gets you where you want to go. But that’s not life either… That’s missing out on the gift.”
Whether or not you are a regular attendee in the Starbucks drive-thru or gulping straight black coffee every morning at 6 am, I think you can see yourself in this illustration. Either option is easier than accepting the cup of coffee we are handed, however sweet or bitter.
John O. has written this book to help us, as the subtitle states, find purpose in both the sorrows and joys of life. Purpose. Meaning. A cup of coffee is a simplistic version of life, so we need to go beyond that imagery because I’m sure we could each talk about life experiences that felt far more bitter than a bad cup of coffee.
And the first step of finding purpose is understanding that we cannot generate that ourselves.
“I cannot make my life meaningful. I don’t have that much control. But I can testify with my whole heart that God made something beautiful in its time…”
“Where there is hope, there is purpose.”
He talks about the things we turn to for meaning and purpose: knowledge, pleasure, money, work, and security.
“You pursue knowledge, and it leads to lament. You turn to pleasure, but it doesn’t satisfy. You try to get ahold of money in hopes of a better life, but it only takes hold of you. The blood, sweat, and tears of your work are just as likely to leave you with nothing but more of the same. Justice is never on time, if it ever arrives. And despite your best efforts, you can’t outrun adversity any more than a dog can outrun its tail.”
“Purpose isn’t in your hands, but God’s. So, you trust in what you cannot see.”
Knowledge, pleasure, money, work, and security aren’t bad things. But they are also not ultimate things. They are glimpses of what is to come. Gifts from God to be enjoyed as gifts not to replace Him.
So when we are deep in sorrow and our soundtrack is the meaninglessness of life, what do we do?
We worship.
“Our frustration with life can lead us to focus increasingly on ourselves. We need to turn our attention, instead, to our Creator. And that’s what worship does. It affirms who He is and where we stand before Him.”
You may be familiar with John Piper’s adage- ‘God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.' God gets glory when He is enough for us, in the good and the bad. And we were created for his glory, not our own.
Perhaps when we’ve lost the purpose in our life it’s because we’ve emphasized the ‘our’ part of the phrase and blurred the reality of our standing before God.
Clarity, remember?
“God gave you your eternal appetite. You have been made to experience pleasure in all its fullness. But like so many things you can turn that gift into a curse if you put it to the wrong purpose. Pleasure isn’t supposed to make you grasp ever more tightly to your passing life. It is meant to loosen your grip on life and point you to God, to make you long for the eternal pleasures of heaven, which will one day make their way to earth.”
I would definitely recommend this book, especially as a companion to a deeper study on Ecclesiastes. The way he writes is like a conversation with a friend and I think it will attract readers young and old. The pangs of the writer of Ecclesiastes can be felt at any age and ‘We Go On’ is a valuable resource to help us get our thoughts straight.
John does a really good job at acknowledging the sorrows of life, validating the feeling, but nudging us to the One who walks us through them.
As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a season for everything, a cycle, and just like the seasons of fall, winter, spring, and summer, we can’t change that they change. Whatever season of life we’re in, it won’t last forever. John prepares us to be watching for that season change, even if it’s not exactly what we were hoping for.
“Find your orbit around God… it’s going to bring you freedom— freedom from self-centeredness, freedom from orienting yourself around things that won’t satisfy, and freedom from the burden of unmet expectations about how your life is supposed to turn out. You don’t need to know where you’re going if you know that God does.”
A Few More Quotes
“Your ‘why God?’ Can easily turn into, How could you, God? How dare you, God?! But these are no longer questions. They’re accusations. Your heart rages, and God becomes the target.”
“Don’t approach God in worship so He can hear you better. Approach Him so you can hear Him better.”
“Through [the life of Christ] we learn that contentment has nothing to do with a number. It has to do with freedom and salvation. It has to do with fullness of life— both now and in the life to come.”
“You might bristle at being told you’re going to be held accountable for how you live, but that’s actually good news. It means God cares about your life. It is meaningful to Him. It matters. Now you can go on living with purpose.”
Further Reading
He quotes J.I. Packer’s book, Knowing God, and I think that is a must-read!
As we consider what awaits us in heaven, I would recommend Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven, which goes into further detail about all the things we have to look forward and how that influences the way we view our world now.
On the Road with Saint Augustine by James K.A. Smith takes us on a journey guided by the writings of Augustine talking through all the things Augustine sought after that never satisfied. He covers topics like freedom, ambition, sex, mothers, fathers, friendship, enlightenment, identity, justice, and death.
I would also recommend reading The Daily Grace Co’s study on Habakkuk which reminds us to say ‘Even if’ instead of ‘what if.’ And to trust God even when we don’t see the justice we so desire to see.
Some of what John O. says that I talk about in my rabbit trail reminded me of Isaac Adam’s book Talking About Race, which still didn’t answer all my questions but had a lot of good information on how to have conversations about race that I think are really helpful.
If the meaninglessness of life has gotten you to a point where just getting out of bed feels hard, I would recommend the book On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble which is short but a valuable book and touches on similar things like worship and orienting our lives around God.
Rabbit Trail
I think there are some things I maybe disagree with John O. about, but it’s not a cut and dry topic. He talks about the racism he experienced and his desire for racial justice.
“I learned about systemic poverty, the racial wealth gap, redlining, and a history of the government bailing out banks, so long as they weren’t Black-owned… America looked at and treated me differently because of the color of my skin… learning led me to lament…”
Obviously there is truth in these statements, I don’t deny that, but I feel like my perspective on these issues lines up more with what I’ve read in Thomas Sowell’s writings (like Discrimination and Disparities).
As a self-proclaimed coffee-lover, John O. noticed the lack of good coffee shops in the neighborhoods around him. He wanted to rectify that and opened one:
“We called our coffee shop Portrait because we wanted to change the picture that comes to mind when people think of specialty coffee. We also wanted to remind people that the color of their coffee is the same color as the skin of its inventors and producers— no matter how often the final product’s been whitewashed.”
I think this endeavor is great— I linked it above if you want to buy their coffee and see more of their mission— but the phrasing of coffee being whitewashed confuses me. Many black-owned coffee businesses that came out in the last few years talk about wanting to ‘reclaim’ the history of coffee. Did white people lie about coffee’s history? I don’t know. Did they? I guess I’m skeptical that we can claim that coffee is still being stolen and whitened (which I don’t even know what that means…).
It’s great to create black-owned businesses around coffee that has a special meaning to their heritage. I am for that. But I’m not sure if phrasing things like ‘whitewashed’ is a unifying way to do that.
Just like…
I also don’t know how I feel about his capitalization of the word ‘black.’ I’ve seen this done in many recent books and have decided to address it at this point. In some cases, only black is capitalized, sometimes all ethnicities including white and brown are capitalized, etc. John O. only capitalized black.
I’ve read several explanations for why this is being done. The Associated Press has actually changed its rules on how it should be written. Some explain that ‘white’ is a more broad term and can describe several different ethnicities. But a general consensus describes capitalizing Black as an action of power.
From an article in the Atlantic- “We strongly believe that leaving white in lowercase represents a righting of a long-standing wrong and a demand for dignity and racial equity,” Price, of the Insight Center, wrote. Until the wrongs against black people have been righted, she continued, “we cannot embrace equal treatment in our language.”
I don’t think I agree with this train of thought if we think that we need elevate black people by capitalizing the ‘b’ and making sure not to capitalize a ‘w’ as if this will bring unity and equality.
Changing language is a big proponent of critical theory. Controlling language is a significant thing. Look at how the definitions of tolerance, violence, man, woman, etc have changed. A capital letter or lowercase letter seems small, but a change because of a political statement seems a dangerous road to traverse.
The article went on to propose that white people don’t deserve the luxury of a non-capitalized ‘w’ because then they don’t have to be accountable to their… actions.. I guess?
This leads me to question… why woman isn’t capitalized over man. And then we see the slippery slope. Can a capital letter really hold the weight of the entire black experience?
I’m not here to solve the letter problem, my point for bringing it up at all is because John O. employed the ‘new’ way of doing it and it gives me pause because in conjunction with a couple of his other statements it makes me wonder if he affirms Critical Race Theory.
As Christians, participating in politics get tricky. Probably nobody does it right, but there are certain things that I think Christians should be wary of, and one of them is conforming to the politically inspired language changes which seems to be a way to spread the overall cultural narrative that is not biblical.
Of course, my rabbit trail is a public pondering of something I haven’t totally figured out or understood yet, and it for sure doesn’t take away from the veracity John O. writes with. We Go On is still a truthful and valuable book that I will continue to recommend. John O. loves the Lord and he preaches the Gospel and that is what is most important.
Anyway, the capitalization of black is just something I wanted to point out as I continue to follow its usage across other books I read because I feel like it tells me a bit about the user’s position within the cultural narrative to some extent even though I can’t fully articulate it yet.
Don’t let me thoughts keep you from this book or from John O. by any means!
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“God loves to call the brightest futures out of the darkest circumstances.”
‘We Go On’ was titled by the influence of MLK’s final book called ‘Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?’ John O. helps us move forward—on— with guidance from the book of Ecclesiastes.
This may seem strange at first because we typically just think of the vanity of life when we think of Ecclesiastes. Everything is meaningless! There’s nothing new under the sun! Does it really offer hope?
John says,
“I want to show you that being honest about the seeming meaninglessness of our present joys and sorrows isn’t the same as being hopeless about the future. Honest and hope aren’t parallel streets we travel down. They intersect. Which means we don’t have to choose if we’re going to be honest or hopeful. We can be both. In fact, understanding what really matters today— or what really doesn’t matter— has real consequences for the way you’ll live your life tomorrow, and the next, and the day after that.”
Honest is a good descriptor for John and this book. He shares of his own experiences of the death of his brother, his strained relationship with his other brother, and years of infertility. He never claims to have all the answers. He makes sure to offer the disclaimer that this book is not meant to.
“These are glass pages; they’ll shatter underneath the weight of expectations they were never meant to carry.”
It’s a short read. Plus the book has pictures! I thought they were a special addition and did make it more beautiful than a typical book.
Considering the teachings of Ecclesiastes requires self reflection, and John provides multiple opportunities in each chapter to do so by asking thoughtful questions and encouragement to remember certain things. He also frequently provides prayers. I liked this too because it helps keep the reader focused on our posture before God and our dependence on him.
Okay, Fam (as he calls us readers), there are a couple things that stuck out to me about this book.
First, is John O.’s commitment to clarity.
“It’s about clarity. It’s about seeing things for what they truly are.”
Reality. Which is both bitter and sweet. There are both sorrows and joys. We don’t need to wallow in the downs and we shouldn’t ignore them all together and pretend they don’t exist. We must see the world for what it really is, our lives for what they truly are. Both the good and bad parts.
I appreciate that commitment because I’m tired of false positivity or sugarcoated lies that make us feel better about ourselves or our choices. We need reality.
Second, his illustration about coffee. Which surprised me a bit because I am anti-coffee. I don’t like it and I doubt I ever will. I don’t understand the coffee addicts. . But his illustration was still something that resonated with me.
He considers two ways of looking at life,
“A lot of folks treat life like a cup of coffee. They don’t want to taste the bitterness. They even want to pretend it isn’t there. So, they reach for accomplishments, relationships, and work— anything to make life sweeter, or at least less bitter. And before they know it, life becomes the equivalent of a ‘coffee-flavored’ beverage. It’s not really life, like it’s not really coffee. It’s just “life-flavored.” They want it sweet or not at all.”
“What about those who only see coffee as a means to an end? They don’t care about the flavor; they care about the caffeine. That’s like living in the future tense. It’s always the next thing… It doesn’t distract you. It just gets you where you want to go. But that’s not life either… That’s missing out on the gift.”
Whether or not you are a regular attendee in the Starbucks drive-thru or gulping straight black coffee every morning at 6 am, I think you can see yourself in this illustration. Either option is easier than accepting the cup of coffee we are handed, however sweet or bitter.
John O. has written this book to help us, as the subtitle states, find purpose in both the sorrows and joys of life. Purpose. Meaning. A cup of coffee is a simplistic version of life, so we need to go beyond that imagery because I’m sure we could each talk about life experiences that felt far more bitter than a bad cup of coffee.
And the first step of finding purpose is understanding that we cannot generate that ourselves.
“I cannot make my life meaningful. I don’t have that much control. But I can testify with my whole heart that God made something beautiful in its time…”
“Where there is hope, there is purpose.”
He talks about the things we turn to for meaning and purpose: knowledge, pleasure, money, work, and security.
“You pursue knowledge, and it leads to lament. You turn to pleasure, but it doesn’t satisfy. You try to get ahold of money in hopes of a better life, but it only takes hold of you. The blood, sweat, and tears of your work are just as likely to leave you with nothing but more of the same. Justice is never on time, if it ever arrives. And despite your best efforts, you can’t outrun adversity any more than a dog can outrun its tail.”
“Purpose isn’t in your hands, but God’s. So, you trust in what you cannot see.”
Knowledge, pleasure, money, work, and security aren’t bad things. But they are also not ultimate things. They are glimpses of what is to come. Gifts from God to be enjoyed as gifts not to replace Him.
So when we are deep in sorrow and our soundtrack is the meaninglessness of life, what do we do?
We worship.
“Our frustration with life can lead us to focus increasingly on ourselves. We need to turn our attention, instead, to our Creator. And that’s what worship does. It affirms who He is and where we stand before Him.”
You may be familiar with John Piper’s adage- ‘God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.' God gets glory when He is enough for us, in the good and the bad. And we were created for his glory, not our own.
Perhaps when we’ve lost the purpose in our life it’s because we’ve emphasized the ‘our’ part of the phrase and blurred the reality of our standing before God.
Clarity, remember?
“God gave you your eternal appetite. You have been made to experience pleasure in all its fullness. But like so many things you can turn that gift into a curse if you put it to the wrong purpose. Pleasure isn’t supposed to make you grasp ever more tightly to your passing life. It is meant to loosen your grip on life and point you to God, to make you long for the eternal pleasures of heaven, which will one day make their way to earth.”
I would definitely recommend this book, especially as a companion to a deeper study on Ecclesiastes. The way he writes is like a conversation with a friend and I think it will attract readers young and old. The pangs of the writer of Ecclesiastes can be felt at any age and ‘We Go On’ is a valuable resource to help us get our thoughts straight.
John does a really good job at acknowledging the sorrows of life, validating the feeling, but nudging us to the One who walks us through them.
As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is a season for everything, a cycle, and just like the seasons of fall, winter, spring, and summer, we can’t change that they change. Whatever season of life we’re in, it won’t last forever. John prepares us to be watching for that season change, even if it’s not exactly what we were hoping for.
“Find your orbit around God… it’s going to bring you freedom— freedom from self-centeredness, freedom from orienting yourself around things that won’t satisfy, and freedom from the burden of unmet expectations about how your life is supposed to turn out. You don’t need to know where you’re going if you know that God does.”
A Few More Quotes
“Your ‘why God?’ Can easily turn into, How could you, God? How dare you, God?! But these are no longer questions. They’re accusations. Your heart rages, and God becomes the target.”
“Don’t approach God in worship so He can hear you better. Approach Him so you can hear Him better.”
“Through [the life of Christ] we learn that contentment has nothing to do with a number. It has to do with freedom and salvation. It has to do with fullness of life— both now and in the life to come.”
“You might bristle at being told you’re going to be held accountable for how you live, but that’s actually good news. It means God cares about your life. It is meaningful to Him. It matters. Now you can go on living with purpose.”
Further Reading
He quotes J.I. Packer’s book, Knowing God, and I think that is a must-read!
As we consider what awaits us in heaven, I would recommend Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven, which goes into further detail about all the things we have to look forward and how that influences the way we view our world now.
On the Road with Saint Augustine by James K.A. Smith takes us on a journey guided by the writings of Augustine talking through all the things Augustine sought after that never satisfied. He covers topics like freedom, ambition, sex, mothers, fathers, friendship, enlightenment, identity, justice, and death.
I would also recommend reading The Daily Grace Co’s study on Habakkuk which reminds us to say ‘Even if’ instead of ‘what if.’ And to trust God even when we don’t see the justice we so desire to see.
Some of what John O. says that I talk about in my rabbit trail reminded me of Isaac Adam’s book Talking About Race, which still didn’t answer all my questions but had a lot of good information on how to have conversations about race that I think are really helpful.
If the meaninglessness of life has gotten you to a point where just getting out of bed feels hard, I would recommend the book On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble which is short but a valuable book and touches on similar things like worship and orienting our lives around God.
Rabbit Trail
I think there are some things I maybe disagree with John O. about, but it’s not a cut and dry topic. He talks about the racism he experienced and his desire for racial justice.
“I learned about systemic poverty, the racial wealth gap, redlining, and a history of the government bailing out banks, so long as they weren’t Black-owned… America looked at and treated me differently because of the color of my skin… learning led me to lament…”
Obviously there is truth in these statements, I don’t deny that, but I feel like my perspective on these issues lines up more with what I’ve read in Thomas Sowell’s writings (like Discrimination and Disparities).
As a self-proclaimed coffee-lover, John O. noticed the lack of good coffee shops in the neighborhoods around him. He wanted to rectify that and opened one:
“We called our coffee shop Portrait because we wanted to change the picture that comes to mind when people think of specialty coffee. We also wanted to remind people that the color of their coffee is the same color as the skin of its inventors and producers— no matter how often the final product’s been whitewashed.”
I think this endeavor is great— I linked it above if you want to buy their coffee and see more of their mission— but the phrasing of coffee being whitewashed confuses me. Many black-owned coffee businesses that came out in the last few years talk about wanting to ‘reclaim’ the history of coffee. Did white people lie about coffee’s history? I don’t know. Did they? I guess I’m skeptical that we can claim that coffee is still being stolen and whitened (which I don’t even know what that means…).
It’s great to create black-owned businesses around coffee that has a special meaning to their heritage. I am for that. But I’m not sure if phrasing things like ‘whitewashed’ is a unifying way to do that.
Just like…
I also don’t know how I feel about his capitalization of the word ‘black.’ I’ve seen this done in many recent books and have decided to address it at this point. In some cases, only black is capitalized, sometimes all ethnicities including white and brown are capitalized, etc. John O. only capitalized black.
I’ve read several explanations for why this is being done. The Associated Press has actually changed its rules on how it should be written. Some explain that ‘white’ is a more broad term and can describe several different ethnicities. But a general consensus describes capitalizing Black as an action of power.
From an article in the Atlantic- “We strongly believe that leaving white in lowercase represents a righting of a long-standing wrong and a demand for dignity and racial equity,” Price, of the Insight Center, wrote. Until the wrongs against black people have been righted, she continued, “we cannot embrace equal treatment in our language.”
I don’t think I agree with this train of thought if we think that we need elevate black people by capitalizing the ‘b’ and making sure not to capitalize a ‘w’ as if this will bring unity and equality.
Changing language is a big proponent of critical theory. Controlling language is a significant thing. Look at how the definitions of tolerance, violence, man, woman, etc have changed. A capital letter or lowercase letter seems small, but a change because of a political statement seems a dangerous road to traverse.
The article went on to propose that white people don’t deserve the luxury of a non-capitalized ‘w’ because then they don’t have to be accountable to their… actions.. I guess?
This leads me to question… why woman isn’t capitalized over man. And then we see the slippery slope. Can a capital letter really hold the weight of the entire black experience?
I’m not here to solve the letter problem, my point for bringing it up at all is because John O. employed the ‘new’ way of doing it and it gives me pause because in conjunction with a couple of his other statements it makes me wonder if he affirms Critical Race Theory.
As Christians, participating in politics get tricky. Probably nobody does it right, but there are certain things that I think Christians should be wary of, and one of them is conforming to the politically inspired language changes which seems to be a way to spread the overall cultural narrative that is not biblical.
Of course, my rabbit trail is a public pondering of something I haven’t totally figured out or understood yet, and it for sure doesn’t take away from the veracity John O. writes with. We Go On is still a truthful and valuable book that I will continue to recommend. John O. loves the Lord and he preaches the Gospel and that is what is most important.
Anyway, the capitalization of black is just something I wanted to point out as I continue to follow its usage across other books I read because I feel like it tells me a bit about the user’s position within the cultural narrative to some extent even though I can’t fully articulate it yet.
Don’t let me thoughts keep you from this book or from John O. by any means!
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November 29, 2024
Wow.
Reading this was like talking with a good friend curled up on a couch - funny, raw, at times heavy, and always filled with hope in Christ. John O truly has a gift with explaining truth and I think this is a must read for everyone.
“Help me live my life as fully as He [Christ] did, enjoying the pleasures and enduring the sorrows in the sure and certain hope that death is not the end.”
WOW.
Reading this was like talking with a good friend curled up on a couch - funny, raw, at times heavy, and always filled with hope in Christ. John O truly has a gift with explaining truth and I think this is a must read for everyone.
“Help me live my life as fully as He [Christ] did, enjoying the pleasures and enduring the sorrows in the sure and certain hope that death is not the end.”
WOW.
March 23, 2022
I’ve really appreciated John O’s insights as I read through the Bible with his Windows and Mirrors podcast this year, which led me to pick up his new release on the book of Ecclesiastes. This book was so good, full of encouragement from scriptures, part memoir at times of how the author has applied this book to his life. The moments of prayer or pause for reflection felt well timed and relevant. And I loved that the audiobook was personalized by the author. Right at the beginning he noted that he might ad-lib at times for what felt right as he read, and he also admonished the listener (twice) to not speed up the book to get through it, but to listen with the inflection he brought to give greater depth to the content. I may have kept it at 1.2 speed 😆 but it did make me pull back from my normal 1.5. I think this is a book I would love to have in print also; I know there were illustrations that I missed in the audio version, and their were many times I wanted to stop and underline or note a particular section. As solid as the audio was, I wonder if this would have been a full 5 stars for me if I had the print also.
March 20, 2022
Reading this book is like that scene in Ratatouille where Remy is eating bites of cheese and strawberry, savoring the taste with his eyes closed while swirls of color dance on screen.
This reads like John Onwuchekwa is sitting on the couch next to me, talking human to human, brother to brother. Ecclesiastes has been a favorite of mine, and John does a great job of expanding its message to modern times.
A great book for the young and old, giving tidbits of wisdom for questions about fulfillment, adversity, pain, pleasure, justice and “What do I do from here?”
This reads like John Onwuchekwa is sitting on the couch next to me, talking human to human, brother to brother. Ecclesiastes has been a favorite of mine, and John does a great job of expanding its message to modern times.
A great book for the young and old, giving tidbits of wisdom for questions about fulfillment, adversity, pain, pleasure, justice and “What do I do from here?”
March 11, 2023
A walk through Ecclesiastes in a way that is conversational and speaking from life experiences while pointing to Christ. Really encouraging read and helped put some solid perspective on life
January 28, 2022
It's been a minute since I read a book in a day. Slurped this one up in two sittings. Warm, relational tone with heartfelt encouragement and thoughtful commentary on the book of Ecclesistes. Onwuchekwa is a wonderful storyteller. I felt like I was talking to a friend. Recommended.
January 17, 2022
John is a brother, friend, and my pastor. Although a young man, his pen exudes the wisdom of a sage and tone of a big brother. The book gives evidence of one who hasn’t just read Ecclesiastes but has lived it. With vivid stories and punchy prose, the reader is sobered and yet comforted. This book has the ability to make you cry tears of sadness and tears of joy and sometimes render them indistinguishable. He’s been educated, taught, and discipled by the teacher. And as a result he is teaching us. The nuggets of wisdom given in this book help us see how the world works under the sun, and to remember to always look above it to find ultimate perspective and hope. Thanks brother, you’re a gift to me and so many.
February 17, 2022
We Go On is such a gift! I’ve been listening to his windows and mirrors podcast, so I knew the audiobook would not disappoint. John’s wisdom and warmth are so apparent as he gently leads his readers (or listeners) through Ecclesiastes and helps us face the realities of life (knowledge, sorrows, pleasures, money, work, relationships, death) while holding on to the hope that God is who He says He is. I cried more than once as John asked me questions, helped me to reflect, and prayed with me and for me. Will be going back to this little book.
July 3, 2023
Onwuchekwa takes readers on a walk through Ecclesiastes through accounts of grief in his own life - and calls you to deep introspection and processing as well. He offers so much wisdom and insight, in a way that’s approachable, personal and engaging. A great read for anyone going through a hard season.
January 2, 2023
Found myself exhaling a lot as I read this. John Onwuchekwa does less of an exposition of Ecclesiastes, instead walking through his own story through the heart of the book. He leads the reader back to the Father over and over.
January 5, 2024
Having heard John O speak at New Years Conference and recently completing a study of Ecclesiastes, I already felt a special connection when starting this book. Closely relating to some of the sorrows he vulnerably shares with the reader and only being able to have a soften heart of sympathy to other hardships, John takes us on a journey just as the Teacher does. The Lord placed this book in my hands exactly when I needed it. Thank you to John O and his words of wisdom and insight through Ecclesiastes.
I loved the explanation of the title for the book and feel like it’ll become an adopted mantra of sorts, similar to “This too shall pass.”
Where do we go from here? We. Go. On.
I loved the explanation of the title for the book and feel like it’ll become an adopted mantra of sorts, similar to “This too shall pass.”
Where do we go from here? We. Go. On.
January 10, 2025
4 stars for the flow and easy reading that is this book. Reading it feels very personal and vulnerable, you feel like you know John. The book is also very thought provoking with the prayers and questions in the middle of the chapters. Very clear message- life has sorrows and joys and the purpose of them both is to lead you to God. Let them lead you to anything else and you will be unsatisfied for certain
December 20, 2023
John O. walks us through some very difficult things he’s gone through in his own life. In the things that were difficult, he walks us through the words thought by The Teacher in Ecclesiastes. How, like coffee, we often endure the bitterness of life in order to truly to enjoy the sweetness that can come after.
January 9, 2025
5 stars. I'm so glad this was my first book of the year.
July 18, 2024
Darn no half star system (most likely a 4.5) Good quick read with an in depth look into John’s life. Johns vulnerability and relatability in this book are unmatched as we continue to navigate the various emotions life continues to bring us. This book takes the reader on a journey of the lowest of lows of life while also remembering to bask in pleasure (but don’t overindulge). Would recommend this book for sure!
April 27, 2022
Beautiful book full of wisdom, based on one of my favorite books in the Bible.
June 25, 2023
Thankful for John’s wisdom and honesty in grief and life. It felt like having a friend to walk through hard topics with.
September 4, 2022
This is probably my favorite book I’ve read this year!! Real, raw, relevant, relatable, instructive and hopeful. Like a masterful tour guide, John O leads his readers through the corridors of the book of Ecclesiastes and his own life. He tells of the real delights, difficulties, discouragements and disasters of life. He’s honest about life in a fallen world AND about how one can have real hope amidst it all. He unashamedly unpacks with real hope that hardship isn’t something one gets over but something one gets through. Unlike a masterful chef, he doesn’t conceal the key ingredient. Instead he gives it to you free of charge: trusting the character of God and his promises, hoping in Christ’s resurrection, and appreciating the gift of good friendships.
March 29, 2022
I am so grateful for this book. John clearly and articulately helps unpack much of Ecclesiastes with examples from his own life that are deeply personal and relatable. He paints a realistic picture of life and how a relationship with God doesn’t make all troubles go away, but enables us to see more clearly how to navigate them authentically. Would highly recommend!
August 25, 2023
a thoughtful and personal reflection on the book of Ecclesiastes. loved that it read like a memoir as well!
February 1, 2022
One of those books you wish you wrote yourself. Thankful for authors like John O.
March 15, 2022
I cannot recommend this book enough. Mr. Onwuchekwa has beautifully used the eternal truths of Ecclesiastes and brought them into a modern context. He speaks of loss, pain, confusion, bitterness, apparent meaningless of life, and other heavy and real emotions of human life. With that he has connected that to who God is and what Jesus has done for us, alleviating the heaviness of those burdens and ultimately removing them. The author brings his own pain to life and that vivid clarity helps to connect it with your own personal struggles, afflictions, and trials. What I appreciate the most, which Christian books can so often fail to do, is that it honestly looks at great pain and calls it what it is, painful! But, we cannot leave ourselves there, we must move forward, there is hope, there is joy, there is salvation!
Plus, the book is beautiful, from the quality of the pages to the beautiful pictures throughout. We are called to enjoy life in Ecclesiastes, and this book is another way you can do that!
Plus, the book is beautiful, from the quality of the pages to the beautiful pictures throughout. We are called to enjoy life in Ecclesiastes, and this book is another way you can do that!
January 25, 2022
We Go On was challenging, thought-provoking, inspiring, filled with hope and good news. John writes about purpose in things like adversity, death, money, work, relationship, and so much more. He gently tells the story of his own life and experiences in a way that’s raw and vulnerable. I would love to read more from John in the future about his experience and perspective on these various topics. This book left me wanting more in the best way.
May 10, 2022
A helpful, enjoyable to read, and honest look at the Truths taught by The Teacher in Ecclesiastes. Using his own story as the backdrop for discussing the problems and limits of life under the sun, Onwuckewa helps the reader look beyond those limits to Christ.
This was also the first book I’ve read that mirrored my experience of being deeply helped through grief by Ecclesiastes.
This was also the first book I’ve read that mirrored my experience of being deeply helped through grief by Ecclesiastes.
February 26, 2022
A really great accessible devotional for the modern day Christian journey.
March 9, 2022
Filled with personal stories and examples of how Ecclesiastes applies to life in a way that is relateable. Would be great as a 1:1 mentorship or coach to study together--especially a who has experienced systemic injustice, as some application is related. Highly recommended!
January 22, 2022
Short Review:
1. This is not how books are written AND this is how more books SHOULD be written
2. Buy the audiobook, John's heart comes included as an added bonus
3. Take the questions you're left with to God
Full Review:
https://atravenhill.substack.com/p/wh...
1. This is not how books are written AND this is how more books SHOULD be written
2. Buy the audiobook, John's heart comes included as an added bonus
3. Take the questions you're left with to God
Full Review:
https://atravenhill.substack.com/p/wh...
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