Learning from "The Swans are not Silent"

The Swans are not Silent is a series of biographies by John Piper, written with the purpose of reminding us of faithful heroes of the faith who have gone before us so that we might learn from them. 

Each book is a compilation of three biographical sketches; each book also has a specific theme that is highlighted throughout the individual biographies. 

As Piper shares in the Preface to Contending for Our All, "I am deeply thankful to God that the swans are not silent, and that the list of faith-inspiring heroes in Hebrews 11 did not end with the New Testament. God has worked through the lives of countless saints of whom we should say, 'Though they died, they still speak' (cf. Hebrews 11:4)." (page 9)

I recently read three books from this series:The Legacy of Sovereign Joy, Contending for Our All, and Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ (books one, four, and five, respectively.) The undeniably devotional-like quality of these books was an incredible blessing to my soul.

Several concepts have stood out to me as I've read these stories of heroes of the faith from days not-so-far-in-the-past:

1. The importance of learning from those who have gone before us     

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and in these books, the written word bears witness to how God used these ordinary men to accomplish His will. Today, their lives are an encouragement to us, helping us to continue running the race and pressing towards the mark that is set before us. 

On a more practical note about learning from those who have gone before us, these short biographical sketches have given me an appreciation for the value of reading biographies, particularly biographies of those who have faithfully walked with God. While any one particular biography might not necessarily be written with the same devotional approach as those from The Swans are not Silent, I can still learn from the testimony of a faithful walk with the Lord: Scripture has much to say about learning from the examples of others.

2. The significance of a faithful walk

With each sketch, Piper drives home the all-surpassing and consuming goal each of these men had as they walked the path God had called them to walk: whether it was a struggle with besetting sin, persecution for doing what was right, or the defense of truth, these men loved the Lord and were faithful to Him. I couldn't help but think "What might those 100 years from now say concerning my walk with the Lord?" 

3. Christ makes life worthwhile 

Take Christ out of the picture and the lives of these men are futile and fleeting, a mere speck in the expansive scope of history and all of eternity. However, because of Christ living in and through them, the legacy of their lives endures and impacts countless lives for eternity. It is no different for us today: without Christ, life has no meaning, for one day we will all die and lose everything we ever so-tightly clung to in this life. 

However, with Christ in our life, we have a purpose far greater than living for ourselves. 

The Apostle Paul summarizes this purpose better than I can: 

    "...that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

("His name glorified in you and you in him." Those words cause my heart to pause in wonder and awe that Christ would even desire to be glorified in me and that I might be in Him.)

From Piper's outstanding portrayal of the lives of each of these men, I would say that Christ was indeed glorified in each of these men and they in Him. 

As I already mentioned, I've only read books one, four, and five from The Swans are not Silent series, but I am anxious to get my hands on the rest of the books in this series. If you have an opportunity to read any of the books from this series, you will be sure to have your heart refreshed and your eyes lifted towards your Savior.