Do You Know Where You Are Going?
Do You Know Where You Are Going?
One Man's Story of September 11 and the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ
Sujo John
ISBN: 1-59056-039-6
Book (Paperback)
Lantern Book
$14.50 (includes S&H)
5 1/2 x 8 1/2
144 pages
September 2002
"Sujo's book, entitled Do You Know Where You Are Going?, explores the events of September 11 and explains how important it is to welcome Jesus Christ into your life and be always prepared for eternal life."
-Pat Robertson, The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. & The 700 Club
Introduction: A Life Transformed
In this brief introduction, Sujo outlines the message of his story-how Jesus is there for us if we call upon him and how belief in him can literally save your life. It is not enough, he argues, to give lip-service to faith or to postpone your commitment to God because of overwork, inertia, or other trivia, because your life and the lives of those you love can be taken in an instant. The events of September 11 were, and remain, a wake-up call for all of us to give themselves to God and belief in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Chapter One: Calcutta
Sujo grew up a Christian in a middle-class home in Calcutta, India. In this chapter, Sujo tells us of life in a city of 22 million as a member of a minority religion and surrounded by great human suffering. He writes about how his parents played a vital role in instilling faith in him as a young boy, and how his grandmother in particular gave him advice that has helped him in tough times.
He relates how his faith responded to the particular challenges of living in a culture where Christianity was not the dominant faith.
Chapter Two: Sheba's Death
Sujo describes the death from leukemia of his sister Elizabeth, affectionately known as "Sheba." Sheba's death challenged the young Sujo's faith and he describes his anger at God at taking someone so young and innocent from the world. Sujo tells of how he regained the strength to believe in God and Jesus Christ through the arrival of an American missionary who offered a prophetic prayer for Sujo that has since come true.
Chapter Three: Coming to America
After a discussion of his educational background, Sujo tells of his marriage and his decision to come to the United States. He narrates the story of how he arrived with only two suitcases and a few dollars in his pocket and how excited he was to see the Statue of Liberty. He explains what America means to him and to many others arriving in the country for the first time.
Chapter Four: September 11, 2001
Only a few months after his arrival, Sujo got a job at a telecommunications company with offices in the World Trade Center. Sujo was very happy at working so close to his wife and in one of the most visible symbols of success and freedom. He then tells of the horrors of September 11 and everything that occurred.
Chapter Five: Do You Know Where You Are Going?
Sujo talks about the meaning of death from a Biblical perspective and how it is the last enemy that one needs to conquer. Sujo says that we need to be prepared for death and to know where we are going when we die. He questions why, when we prepare for so much of our lives through investing, college and retirement and life insurance plans, we do not prepare for eternal life-especially since our life on this planet may last only 80 years but eternal life is forever. He challenges us to make the ultimate commitment to get closer to eternity.
Chapter Six: Accepting the Lord
Sujo concludes by relating what has happened to him since September 11. He talks about his renewed sense of Jesus' purpose for his life and the lessons he has learned: that every day is a precious opportunity to do good; that one needs to be prepared for death at any moment because life can be so quickly taken away; that in moments of great trauma you need to have some larger force with you to help you survive-and that Jesus is that force. He talks of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, how Christ is with us in all that happens to us, and how the challenge of September 11 is to transform and deepen our faith through the suffering and redemption of the cross.
Chapter Seven: The Challenge of Being a Christian
In this chapter, Sujo explains how religion is not an important concept. Good works or rituals, having your name on church registers or being born in a Christian family will not matter. What matters, he advocates, is a personal, daily relationship with Jesus Christ. He then describes what he calls the ABCs of faith: acknowledging that you are a sinner; believing that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; and confessing your sins to God and Jesus Christ. Only in this way, Sujo says, will you be saved for eternity.
Conclusion: Beyond Ground Zero
Epilogue: Jeremy's Birth