When Our Whole World Has Been TurneD Upside Down is a fast paced, gripping novel that will have you wanting more. The characters in the story are young and immature. I'm guessing that the author's target audience is 8 to 10-year-olds.
Shayla's friendship with Megan and Gemma
Shayla's friendship with Megan, Gemma, and Ai is turned upside down by events at school. While in class, she daydreams about playing outside under the tree. She's woken by her teacher who calls her name. She and her best friend Gemma laugh about this, but the teacher has other plans for Shayla. As the day goes on, she finds a way to overcome her fears and move forward.
Theology of turning the world upside down
Turning the world upside down requires boldness. This isn't a task for fair-weather followers. It requires committed followers who fear sin and long for God. John Wesley sought these people. But he couldn't convince them to do it. Instead, his opponents turned to mob violence.
Jesus' victory over oppression
In the early Church, Jesus was a symbol of hope. He had the ability to transform the world around him and gave the world a new way of life. And he did this by offering those in power a reward if they would abandon their systems that oppressed the people. Those who do this today can find new meaning in life, and help turn the world around.
This problem of oppression is the key to understanding the Bible and the world we live in. From the first book of the Bible to the last, the writers of Scripture deal with this issue. So much so, that if you talk to someone who does not believe in Christianity, you're likely to have a discussion about oppression.
Those who believe in Jesus' message are called to care for the oppressed. As Jesus said, we are not to serve ourselves, but to serve others. We need to be willing to give up the things that make us comfortable, but we must be willing to suffer for the sake of others.