How to stay emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world
One of the Youtubers that I watch likes to ask their guests one question: "Which book (except for the Bible) changed your worldview or way of thinking?" Most people can't answer this question right away and I totally understand them. There are so many interesting books that let us enjoy our time reading them or teach us something useful. But the way our brain works makes us forget most of the information that we receive from reading.
However, some books change our minds while we read them, even if we don't try to follow the advice in them. For me, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer became such a book. If you are looking for something to read, I would definitely recommend you to check it out!
About the Book
In two words this book is exactly about what the title says: about hurry, our super busy lifestyles that might seem common but aren't normal! In his life and his ministry, the author of this book reached a certain point that we often call burnout and realized that Jesus didn't call him to this kind of life. Based on his own experience as well as many studies and Bible verses, John Mark Comer wrote a book where he told his readers the way to leave this vicious circle.
In the first half of the book in a few chapters, the author outlines the problem: with the help of facts tells us where this problem came from historically, and why we even call it a problem in the modern world. What's interesting is that no matter who you are - a working student, a CEO of a huge company, or a mother with multiple children, there's a very big chance that you're familiar with the problem.
The second half of the book tells us about four spiritual practices or disciplines that can help us slow down and lead a more efficient and righteous lifestyle. The chapters are called "Silence and Solitude", "Sabbath", "Simplicity", and "Slowing".
Advantages and Disadvantages
The first thing that I noticed when I opened my Amazon package was the appearance of the book. It was bright red, and some of the pages were black with a white print. The design of the book is very thought through: every chapter starts with a grey page so you can see the layout looking from the side. The font is pretty big, the text is divided into small paragraphs. Combined with the author's writing style this makes the book very easy to read.
The writing style deserves a separate paragraph in my article. The book is written in a very simple language which gives you a feeling that the author is talking to you. Pretty often you can see things like "hope you're laughing right now" or "this is the last bible story, I promise". On the pages there's nothing extra: all the references and footnotes are placed at the end of the book where the author comments on them again. For example, after naming the book and the author, he mentions that it's their best book, or leaves a personal impression about it.
As I already mentioned in the beginning, the main advantage of this book is that it seamlessly changes your way of thinking. I always thought that I would never be interested in a minimalist worldview and that multitasking is my middle name. While reading I noticed that now I prefer doing housework in silence (as opposed to always listening or watching something) or make decisions that help me unload my mind and body.
In other words, it's very beneficial for those who feel like they don't have a chance to stop and breathe.
I also want to mention that this book isn't based only on the author's experience and scientific articles. In many ideas, he refers to the Scriptures and Jesus' life which gives his position a serious Biblical basis. One of his thoughts is that if we want to live the life of Jesus and have the fruits that He was having we need to adopt his lifestyle. And if you think about it, Jesus was never in a hurry!
As for disadvantages, I can only say that the author's approach is pretty categorical, and neither he nor I call you to follow it one hundred percent. You can adapt his way of thinking or follow some of his advice, but you don't have to rearrange your whole life to fit the book.
I was listening to a podcast where the speaker was sharing his experience on similar topics (such as Sabbath) and his approach was much more down-to-earth. For example, he didn't ditch his phone completely, but he only checks notifications a few times a day and doesn't use it right before bed. This sounds way more realistic, right?
My Rating - 9
I give such a high rating with confidence because it actually put my mind in order. Maybe I didn't become a new person, but I definitely received a new perspective and learned a few valuable lessons.
I understand that I didn't tell a lot about the actual content of the book so if you're interested feel free to ask questions.
Comentarios