| I went looking for eggs and got the whole fridge…and that’s not a bad thing.
This book serves as a wake up call, challenging the reader to open our eyes to the prevalence and importance of doing and the role of doing in our being. The book starts like a refresher course in Dr. Piper’s book, Desiring God, but the rest of the content is refreshing and unique. At times, it reads like a ministry manual, a counseling handbook or a training tool for church planters. At other times, the book feels like you’re talking with a friend over lunch. In all, though, this book is thorough and strong, drawing the reader to take seriously the patterns of thought and behavior for the importance they have. The key word is “liturgy” and Smith thoroughly demonstrates that much of life (and therefore life in Christ) is shaped not merely by what we think but by what we do. It sounds obvious when stated, but Smith puts his finger on many of the areas of life that are often left unaddressed to our detriment. What we do reveals what we love but what we love can be shaped by what things we do. I heartily recommend this book – especially to those (like myself) who cherish authenticity. In our quest to do that which is genuine, we may miss that which is most meaningful because our senses are often bound by circumstances instead of truth. In You Are What You Love, James K.A. Smith has given a gift to the Church. This book is a timely corrective, full of timeless truths that help the reader to glorify the eternal King. |