The Twenty-Piece Shuffle

Book review | The Twenty-Piece Shuffle
Author: Greg Paul | Reviewed by Stephanie Hung

“Because when you’re out in the big bad world and things go terribly wrong, or wonderfully right, you want to go home. To mourn or to celebrate. To not have to be strong or reserved anymore - to give in to the need to tremble with fear, or be giddy with joy. To be able to do all of that without being humiliated or alone.”

The first time I saw the movie Amazing Grace on a flight from LA to Sydney it seemed one of the most boring, drawn out movies I could remember seeing, and so I stopped watching half way through. I must have been dead-tired at the time because when I re-watched it a few weeks ago, it struck me as one of the most amazing stories I’ve seen in a long time.

I’m wondering if this might be the case with Greg Paul’s work. When I read his first book, God in the Alley, I thought it was reasonable, but nothing to rave about (like many were doing). So, when I read his newest book, The Twenty-Piece Shuffle, admittedly I wasn’t expecting very much. I may now have to eat my words and borrow another copy of God in the Alley, because if it’s anything like The Twenty-Piece Shuffle, then it’s definitely worth a second look.

Paul writes on how the rich and the poor need each other, how they can learn from each other, and how each might equally be alone. From Lexus driving CEO’s to AIDS victims in “respectable” suburbia to the most desperate homeless victim of long term substance abuse - everyone struggles with their own brokenness. Some lie in gutters surrounded by needles while for others, the addictions are less visible. Social acceptance can depend more on popular opinion and how well an addiction can be hidden, than on its ability to destroy lives. However, Paul also adds the caveat, “… it’s one thing to suffer when you have a house, a bed, and a full larder, and quite another to do so when you stuff your jacket with newspaper and curl up under a bridge at night.”

The ideas meander somewhat, but always move determinedly ‘homeward’. This journey is described in three sections: “From Isolation to Intimacy”, “From Productivity to Fruitfulness” and “From Suffering to Glory”. It could come off as a cheesy self-help book, but for the sense that you’re going the wrong way down the ladder of success. The chapters definitely do not guarantee prosperity, instant riches or universal popularity.

The Twenty Piece Shuffle is very easy to read. It consists mostly of stories from the life and experience of Paul and those friends, acquaintances and co-workers he has met over years of inner city ministry. His writing is casual and less worried about formal structure, yet strangely enough, his point comes through more clearly as a result. His style seems to mirror his message, expressing meaning through a literary journey rather than a list of life’s guidelines - more of a gradual realisation, than an assault of academic theory.

Overall, it’s a great read. Paul explores his ideas soundly, and engaged my interest from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed not having to develop a whole new vocabulary to get through the book, and Paul’s ability to lift up the poor yet not look down at the rich was also appreciated. I’d be quite happy if he wrote another book, and I guess I’ll re-read God in the Alley in the meantime.

Reviewer: Stephanie Hung was born and bred in Brisbane, Australia and loves Solo, meat pies and 30 degree dry heat. Interestingly, she currently lives, works and ministers in Canada, where she counted only three days all summer when she wasn’t wearing a sweater. High points in her life so far include graduating from university with a degree in Physics/Astrophysics, hanging out with youth in the SAGALA groups (similar to scouts) of South Queensland, and freezing for a year in Canada while doing the Ignite Gap Year at 614 Regent Park. She currently attends Corps 614, and likes most kinds of sports; reading, drawing, and being useful as she works through all that Jesus stuff.

No comments yet.

Leave a comment