I finished Blue Like Jazz over the weekend and have been encouraging our leadership to read this book. I would also recommend you reading this book. Here’s the thing. I don’t buy into everything in the book but it certainly challenged and stretched me in my thought process. I wanted our leadership to read this book to truly understand the thought process of a post-modern generation.
From blue to green I now turn to Jesus, Hero of Thy Soul by Jim McGuiggan. I felt the need for some Irish influenced thoughts. The downside of reading a McGuiggan book is you don’t get the full flavor of the accent. I’d love to open that book turn to the first page and listen to his thick accent begin to read. An actual audio book instead of a popup book.
Here’s an excerpt to peak yer intrest:
Jesus is much more than a hero. A hero relates only to our sense of admiration, but Christ also confronts the darkness in us – and deals with it. When our eyes open to the Christ, even our admiration for him convicts us. His purity dazzles us without blinding; his strength awes us without driving us to grovel; his joy frees us without making us giddy or superficial.
In our tender moments, we want to hug him for what he did with the woman taken in adultery. And when we feel the need to be brave and speak out against injustice, our souls rise to their feet as he cleanses the temple or scathes the ruler of the synagogue who begrudged a satanic victim her freedom after eighteen years of bondage.
Only Jesus could give himself to all without pandering to anyone. Only he could treat us all as individuals while insisting that we belong to one another. Only he could forgive us fully, freely, gladly – but without dishonoring us our weakening our resolve for righteousness.
Having seen Jesus, knowing how he has lived here, we can’t settle for less than a genuine pursuit of his likeness.
