Waking the Dead

"We live in a far more dramatic, far more dangerous story than we ever imagined. The reason we love The Chronicles of Narnia or Star Wars or The Matrix or The Lord of the Rings is that they are telling us something about our lives that we never, ever get on the evening news. Or from most pulpits. This is our most desperate hour. Without this burning in our hearts, we lose the meaning of our days. It all withers down to fast food and bills and voice mail and who really cares anyway? Do you see what has happened? The essence of our faith has been stripped away. The very thing that was to give our lives meaning and protect us-this way of seeing- has been lost. Or stolen from us. Notice that those who have tried to wake us up to this reality were usually killed for it: the prophets, Jesus, Stephen, Paul, most of the disciples, in fact. Has it ever occurred to you that someone was trying to shut them up?
Things are not what they seem. This is a world at war."

So I'm rereading John Eldredge's "Waking the Dead." I told Angie yesterday that I purposely avoid theology and analysis of God, Christ, the Bible, Christianity etc., because I spent too much time defining myself by what I knew. I think that's why John Eldredge's work appeals to me so much; he speaks directly to my heart. He doesn't try to convince me of anything, but reminds me of what I know to be true in my heart.

"The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it."