review - "waking the dead"

My best day of the week is Wednesday, don’t ask me why. It just seems to be the day that I click on all cylinders. I’m efficient and insightful. On Wendesdays, I care for people. I’m relational, I’m clear and concise. I am energetic and mindful of the presence of God in my life. On Wednesdays I take action. ON WEDNESDAYS – I AM THE MAN I ASPIRE TO BE. ON WEDNESDAYS – I AM AS GOD INTENDS ME TO BE. I don’t know why it seems to be Wednesdays that everything goes so well, it just happens that way.

Waking the Dead – John Eldredge

Overall, this book has been a great source of encouragement and motivation for me. Its main theme is summarized in this quote by Saint Iranaeus, “the glory of God is man fully alive”.

John Eldridge encourages me to live every day like Wednesday.

I am reminded that God’s work in my life is twofold. First, I am justified – through Jesus, and I can relate to God in a restored, redeemed relationship. Anyone who believes (an important word to understand) is justified. The second work in my life is sanctification – literally, becoming a saint. In relating to God, I am transformed from the man that is driven by the forces of the world, into a man that is set apart, special and different.

This book focuses on sanctification – admonishing those of us who are satisfied to be simply justified (even a dead fish moves with the current). Please note, I’m not downplaying sanctification. I’m just submitting that I miss out when I don’t look for growth and change in my life. Our lives are found in the process of sanctification, becoming who our creator has designed us to become.

"Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

None of the ideas in the book are new. What I love about this book is how the information is presented. Basically, the author is a big believer in myths. What he means is that myths are stories that give us a glimpse of an eternal reality. Or stories that awaken us to the deep truths of life. Using myths as a foundation for his teaching, he uses some of my favorite movies, music and books to illustrate the deep truths of God and life. This includes: The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Seinfeld, U2, Survivor, Braveheart, The Rolling Stones and Gladiator. Hey anyone that can help me rationalize my music and movie collections is okay by me.

For more on John Eldridge, visit Ransomedheart.com .