BOOK CORNER
By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
“Paul’s Shoes: Walking in the Shoes of Apostle Paul during a Global Pandemic,” by Leroy Matthews Jr., is a spiritual guidebook that offers perspectives regarding the experiences of Apostle Paul during biblical times and what the world has experienced through the coronavirus pandemic.
“The book was inspired by the early 3 a.m. prayers and meditations with the Lord, and writing it was a 52-day conversation with the Lord,” Matthews said. “During that time, I asked God for guidance and help and the thing He pressed on my spirit was that this will be the closest I’ll ever get to walking in Paul’s shoes.”
In “Paul’s Shoes,” Matthews draws on parallels between Paul’s experiences like experiencing house arrest in Rome and the challenges faced during the pandemic.
“Just as Paul couldn’t get to the believers of Christ, we were put in the same situation as him under quarantine,” Matthews said. “How Paul reached the people was through letters and our way was through social media: Facebook, Instagram, Zoom and the host of other platforms available.”
The book is written in a conversational tone where Matthews is conversing with God.
“It was important to write this book to encourage those who thought they were trapped by the pandemic, unable to connect with family, friends and even their families of faith, and for pastors and how they could connect with their congregations,” the author said.
“Paul’s Shoes” is intended to encourage everyone that has been impacted by the pandemic.
“It’s my prayer that the reader of this book gains the importance of trusting in the Lord,” Matthews said. “Ways that we can reach out to the world outside of the four walls that can cut us off from the very people we’re trying to reach and strength knowing that with God we can make it even through the dire circumstances of coronavirus.”
In addition to being an author, Matthews is the lead pastor of One Lord Ministries. He is based in Inglewood.
For more information about the author and his work, visit walkinginpaulsshoes.com.
“Paul’s Shoes: Walking in the Shoes of Apostle Paul during a Global Pandemic” is available for $14.95 via walkinginpaulsshoes.com or at Word of Life Christian Bookstore in Los Angeles.
