Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Same Kind of Different as Me, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Slavery and Racism
Homelessness
Reconciliation
Christian Faith
Charity, Love, and Ego
Summary
Analysis
Ron continues his narration. In mid-September, two days after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the Union Gospel Mission breaks ground on the Deborah Hall Memorial Chapel, built with over $500,000 given by donors and friends. Even seeing what Deborah’s life and death have produced, Ron is still bitterly disappointed that God did not heal her. However, in retrospect, he recognizes that that is the beauty of God’s love and relationship to the faithful: Ron can be angry at God and still accepted by him.
Ron’s faith provides both a benefit and a point of frustration. On the one hand, Ron is angry with God, but on the other, his faith gives him the space to be angry about Deborah’s death, and a target to direct that anger at freely. This again suggests the benefits of Christian faith in handling grief and loss.
Themes
The following Sunday, Ron and Denver visit a church in a depressed part of Fort Worth, whose pastor heard of Denver’s testimony and begged Ron to convince him to come preach. Although Denver begins nervously, as he speaks his confidence grows and the passion of his sermon brings passersby in from the street. The pastor and the church are overjoyed, calling for Denver to return again to preach and lead a revival. As Ron watches, he recalls Deborah’s dream that Denver would change the city. “Again, something new had begun. Something I was certain had my wife dancing for joy on streets of gold.”
Denver’s ability to inspire and energize others—even motivating them to donate and build ministries for the homeless—harkens back to Deborah’s dream of a man who would change the city. Once again, Deborah’s faith seems to be prophetic, and certainly helps Ron to find meaning in the midst of pain. Although Ron lost his wife, he is able to bear witness to the birth of new things.
Themes
