Before we go any further I want to say two things that I have never said about a book on "spirituality" or "religion" or "theology"
1. I read this book in one sitting.
2. I found myself passing the book to my wife to read a paragraph or two, she would read a bit further, find something else amazing, and pass the book back to me.
In short, this book is the good stuff.
Brennan Manning is the author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, if you haven't read it you can pretty much guess what that one was about from the sound of the word "ragamuffin". Ragamuffins are the lowly, despised, rejected ones of the world, you know, the ones God favors, the ones that Jesus sends us to bring back into the house, the ones we miss over and over again. Well, while that book may have described a recipient of the Good News, The Furious Longing of God is their creed.
In this book Manning presents a God, Father, Abba who longs so furiously for His children that he comes and gets us. This is a book that will blow the dust off of the faith while convicting us in our stupor.
Each chapter has two discussion questions, so this book may be used in a small group. Warning to all "small group pastors" out there, if you release this book into a small group it may end up being like throwing a grenade with the pin pulled. One way or the other, something's going to happen. I will quote one of his discussion questions:
"There is the 'you' that people see and then there is the 'rest of you'. Take some time and craft a picture of the 'rest of you.' Just remember that the chances are good it will be full of paradox and contradictions."
I appreciate Manning's going after this idea of the reversing of the arrows in terms of our relationship with God. For all of our seeking and fasting and "spiritual development" there is this lost (to us) idea of the gathering storm of bliss in the revelation that God longs for you, little ragamuffin you, right where you're at. Questioning you, fundamentalist you, absent for these many days you. You. Read it, pass it on, take Manning's suggestion and drop it in a used book shop or leave it at the coffee shop. Obviously all of our sermons and long range plans aren't doing the trick, here's a try from a slightly more chaotic and oh-so-needed point of view.
"The Furious Longing of God" (Brennan Manning)
Technorati Tags: Book review, Brennan Manning, life, religion
Comments