I don’t remember a time when I couldn’t read; books have always been the lenses through which I view the world. The Book, the Word, the Light, brings into being my very faculty of sight. Some books are corrective glasses, clearing up distortions and bringing into focus all things needful for me to see. Others are binoculars, extending my field of vision to identify far off things of which I would otherwise have only blurry glimpses. Certain books are microscopes, showing me minute particulars which despite their seeming smallness are of vital significance. Still others are telescopes, directing my gaze past this finite world to wonders of the great Beyond. Some books are windows, letting light and air into the rooms in which I am too apt to shut myself up. And some are mirrors, holding up before me the honest reflection of my true self which I would not otherwise see.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Book Review: The Wisdom of Tenderness by Brennan Manning

Synopsis

Manning opens the book with a statement of concern about the current state of Western spirituality, and recommends as an antidote the Biblical wisdom which is personified in Jesus Christ and His essential tenderness toward "us sin-scarred ragamuffins." It is not suggested that God's justice is negated by this tenderness, but rather that it is "because He is just that He is compassionate…for He knows our weakness." The author shares personal experiences that have led him into a deeper relationship with God as a loving father with a heart of tenderness and invites the reader to embrace our Lord's unfathomable mercy and grace.

Reviewer's Comments

Manning contends that "every change in the quality of a person's life must grow out of a change in his or her vision of reality." The insights shared in this book have life-changing potential for the reader who comes to it with an open heart and mind, willing to re-examine the sometimes distorted popular image of God.

Recommendations

I would encourage the reader to find a quiet place to read and reread this book slowly, carefully, prayerfully, and in small increments, allowing time for the simple but powerful truth of God's tenderness to saturate his spirit.
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