Primal – Mark Batterson
I recently received a gratis copy of Mark Batterson’s new book, Primal. I wish I would not have waited until to the day before the blog post/review was due to start reading it as I only am half way through. I am not going to let the other half slip into the finish-this-book-someday pile.
The book begins with the story of Mark’s trip to Italy and his journey into some catacombs. This descent into the catacombs profoundly impacted him. Having traveled to Italy and explored catacombs I resonated with his feelings and what he writes about.
He continues to share that Christianity has lost its soul and in order to rediscover and reimagine it, we must be great at the Great Commandment, loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. We must go back to the catacombs of our faith and bring the primal essence of Christianity to the forefront of our spiritual journeys.
The book is divided into four parts, each explaining the four parts of the Great Commandment. I have read through heart and soul. I will let the book speak for itself
Heart
As we grow in our love relationship with God, we begin to empathize with God. We feel what He feels. The we begin to sympathize with others. We experience sympathy breakthroughs as we see the image of God in others. And when those empathetic feelings turn into compassionate actions, they set off chain reaction with eternal ramifications.
Nichole and I have always felt at some point we will adopt or do foster care, and this section made that much clearer in my head as we both look to the future.
Soul
Until you hear the voice of God, you won’t be able to sing His song.
The soul of Christianity is found in wonder and through reading Scripture. Living in the Pacific Northwest I am a part of God’s handiwork and see His creation all around me. I often have my breath taken away as I drive to work and see Mt. Rainier illuminated by the morning sun.
Mark shares about his conviction to read through the Bible cover-to-cover in one year. I am proud to say that I am entering Revelation on my own quest to do the same. I feel like I have heard God’s voice this year and am planning on making this a practice of mine for the rest of my life. My main purpose in doing this is not for the accomplishment, but to get to know God better, be in tune with Him and be able to sing His song to impact those around me.
If you are looking for a book to read to finish off this year, or for your first read of the new year, put this on the short list. I am anxious to see what the rest of the book is like and how it will effect me and hopefully others that I am connected to.