Jesus is the Buddha Belt does a great job of showing the humanity of the people of Myanmar. This is a narrative nonfiction book told in first person by four characters who happen to be real people from Myanmar. It brings to life problems and prejudices of these individual who set aside their former religious beliefs to accept Christ. They struggle with concerns that believing in Jesus means rejecting their people and culture as well as their identity as Buddhists. Yet they see the value, truth, and blessing of following Jesus.
I enjoyed this book, because it gave me a good sense of what life was like for each narrator. Their personal struggles and how the Christian message affected them was captivating. The book presents how the treasure of believing in Jesus Christ shined through to each of the characters despite being clouded by the human flaws of those bringing the gospel message and of the recipients. As American Christians, this book can help us be more sensitive to how we might create unnecessary barriers to people in other countries accepting Jesus as Lord and savior.