A good friend said that when looking for a new book to buy, read the first page and the last page and this will give you a good feel to what the book is like.
The book I am reviewing is called ’More> REAL’ and the closing few words of the book sums up much of what the book is about -
Let’s be the generation that disregards the fake and embraces the authentic. The generation that tastes and sees what the Bible had in mind all along.
The generation that Brown is making reference to are the twenty and thirty sometings who are often missing from our churches. Brown is himself (judging from his photo on instagram) in his late 20s and so he can speak from this vantage about what it’s like to be in the age bracket at this time. His aim is to show that REAL life is only possible when we have a genuine relationship with our Maker as well as with the people who He has put around us. Brown also warns us that to live out an authentic (real) life will be costly because growth and happiness and love involve vulnerability, risk and pain.
The Bible is interwoven throughout this book and many current cultural references are made from music, film and literature.
Many of the topics covered won’t be unfamiliar to most people, and so he looks at, for instance, prayer, grace, cost and relationship. What I like about this book so much is the author’s honesty. Not many people looking at the Christian faith will start with doubt as an opening chapter but he does: listen to what he says -
Doubt is not the opposite of faith but a sign of it. Doubt can reveal that you want to know the truth and not running from it. If you’re questioning, you’re looking for answers. Indeed, there are times when closed-minded cynicism can be masqueraded as doubt, and those claiming to be asking have already reached conclusions. But true doubt comes with an open mind, and an open heart and a desire for truth.
If you come to this book with an open mind, open heart and a desire for truth then you will love this book even if you are over the target audience age.