{"id":1454,"date":"2011-03-01T01:55:32","date_gmt":"2011-03-01T01:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/unbroken-the-shocking-story-of-the-happiest-man-ive-ever-known.html"},"modified":"2011-03-01T01:55:32","modified_gmt":"2011-03-01T01:55:32","slug":"unbroken-the-shocking-story-of-the-happiest-man-ive-ever-known","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/unbroken-the-shocking-story-of-the-happiest-man-ive-ever-known.html","title":{"rendered":"Unbroken: The Shocking Story of the Happiest Man I’ve Ever Known"},"content":{"rendered":"

No, I’m not exaggerating. If you were to ask me, “Who is the happiest man you’ve every known?” I would quite quickly answer, “Louie Zamperini.” <\/p>\n

As a boy, I attended the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Every now and then, Louie, who was part of the church, would speak in my Sunday School classes. He held us spellbound with amazing stories of his life. He had been an Olympic runner and a very promising miler, until he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Louie served in the Pacific during the war. There, his plane crashed, and he spent 47 days adrift on a tiny raft in shark-infested waters. After washing up on a Pacific island, Louie spent the next two plus years in Japanese prison camps. He didn’t tell us too much about his experiences in these camps, but focused rather on how God had blessed his life. I remember Louie as a joyful, fascinating man. I loved it when he spoke in my Sunday School classes.<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, I served on the staff of Hollywood Pres, and so did Louie Zamperini. He was responsible for a ministry for senior adults. Every time I saw Louie, he was bounding with enthusiasm . . . often, literally bounding. Louie had abundant energy, even for a man in who in his seventies. My favorite memories of Louie during this time of life are watching him skateboard. He loved zipping around the church campus on his skateboard. We often referred to him as a wild man, because he skated with so much utter joy and abandon. <\/p>\n

\"hillenbrand-unbroken-4.jpg\"<\/span>Louie is now the subject of a mind-blowing book. Unbroken<\/i>, by Laura Hillenbrand<\/a>, has been a New York Times #1 seller in the months since its release in November. It is a truly compelling, gripping story. If it weren’t verified by many sources, you’d never believe it. What Louie experienced after his plane crashed until he was set free in Japan is beyond comprehension.<\/p>\n

Unbroken<\/i> is wonderfully written and filled with historical and cultural insights. Hillenbrand, who wrote Seabiscuit<\/i>, is a delightful and careful writer. She tells Louie’s story without flinching, both the good and the bad. And, believe me, there is plenty of bad. What Louie experienced as a POW is horrific. The middle section of Unbroken<\/i> is not easy reading, but it is well worth the emotional investment.<\/p>\n

I am deeply grateful to God for the privilege of having known Louie Zamperini. And I am also grateful for Laura Hillenbrand’s extraordinary book. Unbroken<\/i> will make you laugh and make you cry. It will take you to the heights and to the depths. Perhaps more importantly, it will help you to cherish your life. I will never be as happy as Louie Zamperini, but his story has helped me to take more delight in life. Thanks Laura. Thanks Louie. And thanks be to God!   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No, I’m not exaggerating. If you were to ask me, “Who is the happiest man you’ve every known?” I would quite quickly answer, “Louie Zamperini.” As a boy, I attended the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Every now and then, Louie, who was part of the church, would speak in my Sunday School classes. He…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[181],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews"],"yoast_head":"\nUnbroken: The Shocking Story of the Happiest Man I've Ever Known - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/unbroken-the-shocking-story-of-the-happiest-man-ive-ever-known.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unbroken: The Shocking Story of the Happiest Man I've Ever Known - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"No, I’m not exaggerating. If you were to ask me, “Who is the happiest man you’ve every known?” I would quite quickly answer, “Louie Zamperini.” As a boy, I attended the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Every now and then, Louie, who was part of the church, would speak in my Sunday School classes. He…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/unbroken-the-shocking-story-of-the-happiest-man-ive-ever-known.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-03-01T01:55:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/files\/import\/photos\/hillenbrand-unbroken-4.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Unbroken: The Shocking Story of the Happiest Man I've Ever Known - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1454\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}