Review: For every Christian who has felt like a doubter at times and a zealot at others
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 25, 2014
The author had my unbroken attention from the first page: “I used to be a religious zealot. Sincere, but sincerely judgmental. Grace was a word I proclaimed to understand but didn’t.” Wow. That’s the way a lot of people outside the church view Christians – and with good reason. We can come over as hypocritical and jugmental.I love the fact that the church – while being in a worrying state of flux at the moment – is slowly losing its judgmental tendencies and becoming more welcoming to all. This book helped me understand my own feelings and confusion about the new liberalism in the church.The author says that “My walk with Christ led to being knocked off my high horse. Sin was exposed in the zealot.” And that his journey led him to wrestle with God to find his own balance. That’s similar to my own experience.Until my [Christian] husband left me I was – God forgive me – judgmental about people who didn’t try hard enough to make their marriages work.The author makes a very interesting point about couples both hearing from God because they are one flesh. I’m looking forward to remarrying to try that out!A couple of lines from the book that might resonate with others:“Have you ever felt like neither the church nor the world accepts you?” He shows how great men of God felt the same way – Abraham, whose soul was like a star and dwelt apart. Jesus, who experienced the ultimate lonliness, on the cross.As he says, “No-one stays with the man that has a cross.”“Focus on eternal things … by asking, ‘Will this matter in 100 years?’ Meditate on it. Journal it, Pray about it.”“I’m Scott Blair. I’m an ordained minister and I’ve doubted my faith. Wow! That felt good :-) … we are creating a transparent community where it’s OK to express doubt and unbelief.”This is a book to challenge your battling inner zealot and inner doubter. It’s a book that will stay with you long after you finish it. It’s a book that, hopefully, will leave you feeling like a slightly better Christian. It did me.Near the end of the book are these wonderful lines to reassure us about our lack of anything like perfection: "I think Jesus chooses messy. I think a pastor would stink of sheep." I love it. I think I need to start accepting my own messiness.