Primal – A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity
By Mark Batterson
“What would your Christianity look like if it was stripped
down to the simplest, rawest, purest faith possible?.... This book is an invitation to rediscover the
compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy that turned the world upside down two
thousand years ago.”
This little book reexamines the Great Commandment of Jesus –
“AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR
SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.” Mark 12:30 (NASB) The focus is on the 4 elements of loving the
Lord: heart, soul, mind, strength. The author
points out that along the way Christianity has become more focused on and known
for that which we DO NOT approve, rather than the radical way Jesus taught us
to love. We are supposed to loving God
with our whole self – head to toe, inside and outside- and loving others the
same way too.
“What do you think brings more joy to the heart of our
heavenly Father – singing songs or caring for the poor?” I think you know the answer. And that’s the heart of Christianity – loving
as He loves. The soul of Christianity is
rediscovering the wonder of it all – from the awe-some nature that God created,
to the beauty and mystery of our Creator.
Loving with our mind is renewing our curiosity for the world around us,
and wanting to know our God through discovery.
As the author puts it, “…one way we glorify God is by exploring and
educating ourselves about everything He has created.” Finally, loving God with our strength is just
what it sounds like – hard work for kingdom causes. It means breaking a sweat to serve the world
a heaping helping of Christ’s love.
Loving with our strength is not about finding the perfect place to
serve, it’s about serving. Christ told
us to “Go.”
This book is simple and easy to understand, yet very
challenging to put into practice.
However, I believe it is God-inspired to help Christians to get back on
their feet and get back to the basics – Loving God: Heart, Soul, Mind, and
Strength.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah
Publishing Group for this review.
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