Skip to main content

Book Reviews

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: John Mark Comer


I begin with two confessions: first I started this last year. Second, it's the second time I've read it. The first time I read it in an afternoon, which might fall into the category of irony.

That I have read it twice might be a commendation in and of itself.

Comer writes with accessibility and pace. It's an easy read. But that doesn't mean its not deep. You can find allusions to and quotes from many of the classics on the spiritual life- he won me over with Foster, Nouwen, Rolheiser, Friedman.. I could carry on. He also writes with grace. This is no guilt trip (although I read it at the end of six weeks of imposed slowing).

Essentially, this is a book about regaining one's soul against a ruthless tide of hurry in our world. He boils it down to four practices in pursuit of the unfashionable status of a 'quiet life'. If you are seeking celebrity, drive, value by email replies, fame- you may find this challenging. If you have reached the moment where you see that rat race for what it is- this is a great entry way to the classic unhurried spiritual life.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Week Today

A week today, when all the furore has ebbed and the markets have bottomed out, our nation will awake to the sounds of bugles and church bells as we commemorate 100 years from the start of the Battle of The Somme.  I am an historian by background, and the Somme for me is emblematic of a human tragedy that need never have happened. My reading of it is this: we began a war from a variety of odd alliances and murky motivations, capped off finally by a sense that no-one had the will to stop it.  In order to give the war effort impetus, posters, propaganda began to be bandied around about the enemy, about what they would do to children and how they needed to be stopped. It worked as a recruiting effort- young men, boys, and women all joined the war effort. They joined as an act of patriotism, tinged yes with fear, but also a sense that it might be the right thing to do. They joined from across the country- but at the heart of the front line forces were thousands and ten of thousands...

Remembering What I Enjoy..

Occasionally I forget things. Some stuff like birthdays, names and stuff is a normal human thing, and I don't sweat it so much. But I also forget some other stuff which is not so good. I forget what I enjoy. I don't know how it happens but it does from time to time. And its at these moments that I need a bit of help remembering. So- this is a request for help. What do I enjoy doing? What gives me joy? Leave me a comment.

What is your gospel?

So I'm meeting the DDO again tomorrow, where we will look criteria G: faith. One of the questions is; 'what is your gospel?'. Its a really interesting question; one that I have probably answered in many ways through the last 16 years. Today I think it is.. 'God made humanity to live in relationship with him, we chose to wander away from that and so the world has ended up essentially still good but just a shadow of what its meant to be. Thats true both of us individually and humanity in general. God has made a way for us to restore our relationship with him, and to become agents in restoring how things were always supposed to be. That way: is Jesus. As part of God, he lived on earth modelling the way that God chooses to change things. He kicked out demons, healed the sick, dignified the poor, and chose to subject himself to a world that hated him. He invites us to live like him- and gives us hope of doing just that through the Holy Spirit. The Bible uses the im...