Raelene provides one of the more evocative reviews I’ve yet seen. She even titled it: “I read this book and then fired my shrink.”
———————————————————————–
Jonathan opens up a very important conversation with the suggestions in his book. Whether someone believes or not, this is simply a conversation worth joining. I planned to submit more of a “book review” and instead I felt led to share from more of a personal journey.
Jonathan’s book says, “The only way to lose what is true is to lose God’s perspective, to lose the objective basis for judgment…And all we have is our relative experience that resides as data…The very thing we use to base truth on becomes relative, and we suffer the consequences.”
I spent many years avoiding the Bible even though I considered myself a very spiritual person, and often prayed many times throughout the day. The stories/lessons in the Bible did not add up for me. I wanted to know more. I wanted to ask more questions about the things that seemed impossible, and there were so many traditional beliefs that I was “taught” to just accept as truth and challenging it was considered rebellious.
Until I experienced a very bad marriage and even worse divorce, I hadn’t truly connected on a very deep level with God where I could call it a relationship. I realized, through my restoration process, that my deepening relationship with God was opening up simple truths for me. I began to become interested in what love really is, what the true meaning and practice of Grace is, what it means to love your neighbor, how to really let go of guilt after praying for forgiveness and answers to many more simple questions about things I was just told how to believe, from Church, family, friends and the more traditional beliefs. I wanted to feel it. I didn’t want to just read it. Even then, I continued to be intimidated by the complexity of the Bible and feared my own misinterpretations. I feared I may misinterpret scripture and displease the Lord, accidentally. Then, I picked up Jonathan Brink’s book. I had to put the book down every 3 pages because I was taken over by tears and a physical pain in my heart because some of the deeper rooted issues I was placing a band-aid on, were being brought to the surface and left for me to work through. Just when I thought I was “healed”, each chapter carried me further to true restoration and loving myself with the God Imagination, not my imagination.
I had been basing truth on my relative experience and I have seen how I have suffered consequences because of it. I love how simple it is to understand the truth. I discovered, after reading Jonathan’s book, God is the judge and defines value. We can judge if we start with God’s perspective…and “it is good”. Amazingly simple. I wish I had this book many years ago. I’ve purchased over 5 copies and will continue to gift this book because I can’t help but want to see people heal their hearts and minds with the suggestions from this book. Jonathan’s book has removed my intimidation of the Bible because the simple Truth’s and seeing everything through the foundation that we are “Very good” have led me to better interpret God’s message in this beautiful book called the Bible.
