Before we had Max, I got chance to read this book, which challenge us to think and pray differently about how we should live our life and raise our kid:
Here is the summary from the book:
If you are a follower of Christ, then you are called to fight for the heart of your King. It is a life fueled by passion - a passion for God and a passion for people. When Christianity becomes just another religion, it focuses on what God requires. Just to keep people in line, we build our own Christian civilization and then demand that everyone who believes in Jesus become a good citizen. We have lost the simplicity of our early faith. Beyond that, we have lost the passion and power of that raw, untamed, and primal faith.
It's hard to imagine that Jesus would endure the agony of the Cross just to keep us in line. The new covenant that He established puts its trust not in the law, but in the transforming power of God's Spirit living within us.
The author's story:
My daughter, Mariah, and I were getting some important dad-and-daughter time. She began to open her heart and bring me into her dreams.
"Daddy, one day I want to make a billion dollars, and I want to give it all away. I want to help the poor; I want to help the needy. I want to make a billion dollars, and I don't care if I have nothing, but I want to give it all to help people."
As I was listening to her dream, I thought, I can fix this. Because the dream was almost right. I said, "Mariah, I want you to make a billion dollars and give to the poor and the needy, but it's not a good idea that you have nothing. Then you would be needy and somebody would have to take care of you and you wouldn't be responsible."
"I don't care if I don't have anything, Daddy," Mariah responded. "I just want to make a billion dollars and give it away. I don't care if I'm homeless. I don't care if I have nothing."
"But if you're homeless, our taxes would have to pay for you."
Looking at me as if to say, Daddy, you just don't understand, she continued, "I don't care if I have nothing. I just want to make a billion dollars and give it away. I don't care if I have nothing. I just want to make a billion dollars and give it all away. I don't care if I have nothing."
I knew I wasn't making progress. We left the place and went to the car. I unlocked it, and she got into the car quickly. By the time I slid into the driver's seat, she was sobbing, and I didn't know what was going on. I asked, "Mariah, are you okay?"
Just drenched in tears, she looked at me and said, "Daddy, I want to change the world, but you can't appreciate my dream. I want to change the world." She continued, "I didn't say I would be homeless; I said I didn't care if I became homeless. I want to change the world. Can't you just hear my dream?"
It took me a little while, but suddenly I saw it clearly. I was experiencing a barbarian invasion. Mariah's heart was beating to the rhythm of the heart of God. And her dreams were way too raw for me. I didn't see it initially, but I was trying to civilize her instead of unleashing the untamed faith within her. After all, I am her dad. It's okay if I live a life of irrational faith and breathtaking adventure. I want something different for her. I want her to have security and safety-you know, a predictable, boring, mundane life where I never have to worry about her again. In that moment I realized Mariah would have none of that. For her there is only one path. Even at twelve she has already committed to it. Be still my heart, but my daughter has chosen the barbarian way.
The barbarian way is about love, intimacy, passion, and sacrifice. Barbarians love to live and live to love.When you join the barbarian tribe, you begin to live your life with your eyes and heart wide open. When the Spirit of God envelops your soul, your spirit comes alive, and everything changes for you. You are no longer the same."
Jesus did not suffer and die so that we could build for ourselves havens, but so that we might expand the kingdom of His love.
Barbarian Way - Part 2
Here is the summary from the book:
If you are a follower of Christ, then you are called to fight for the heart of your King. It is a life fueled by passion - a passion for God and a passion for people. When Christianity becomes just another religion, it focuses on what God requires. Just to keep people in line, we build our own Christian civilization and then demand that everyone who believes in Jesus become a good citizen. We have lost the simplicity of our early faith. Beyond that, we have lost the passion and power of that raw, untamed, and primal faith.
It's hard to imagine that Jesus would endure the agony of the Cross just to keep us in line. The new covenant that He established puts its trust not in the law, but in the transforming power of God's Spirit living within us.
The author's story:
My daughter, Mariah, and I were getting some important dad-and-daughter time. She began to open her heart and bring me into her dreams.
"Daddy, one day I want to make a billion dollars, and I want to give it all away. I want to help the poor; I want to help the needy. I want to make a billion dollars, and I don't care if I have nothing, but I want to give it all to help people."
As I was listening to her dream, I thought, I can fix this. Because the dream was almost right. I said, "Mariah, I want you to make a billion dollars and give to the poor and the needy, but it's not a good idea that you have nothing. Then you would be needy and somebody would have to take care of you and you wouldn't be responsible."
"I don't care if I don't have anything, Daddy," Mariah responded. "I just want to make a billion dollars and give it away. I don't care if I'm homeless. I don't care if I have nothing."
"But if you're homeless, our taxes would have to pay for you."
Looking at me as if to say, Daddy, you just don't understand, she continued, "I don't care if I have nothing. I just want to make a billion dollars and give it away. I don't care if I have nothing. I just want to make a billion dollars and give it all away. I don't care if I have nothing."
I knew I wasn't making progress. We left the place and went to the car. I unlocked it, and she got into the car quickly. By the time I slid into the driver's seat, she was sobbing, and I didn't know what was going on. I asked, "Mariah, are you okay?"
Just drenched in tears, she looked at me and said, "Daddy, I want to change the world, but you can't appreciate my dream. I want to change the world." She continued, "I didn't say I would be homeless; I said I didn't care if I became homeless. I want to change the world. Can't you just hear my dream?"
It took me a little while, but suddenly I saw it clearly. I was experiencing a barbarian invasion. Mariah's heart was beating to the rhythm of the heart of God. And her dreams were way too raw for me. I didn't see it initially, but I was trying to civilize her instead of unleashing the untamed faith within her. After all, I am her dad. It's okay if I live a life of irrational faith and breathtaking adventure. I want something different for her. I want her to have security and safety-you know, a predictable, boring, mundane life where I never have to worry about her again. In that moment I realized Mariah would have none of that. For her there is only one path. Even at twelve she has already committed to it. Be still my heart, but my daughter has chosen the barbarian way.
The barbarian way is about love, intimacy, passion, and sacrifice. Barbarians love to live and live to love.When you join the barbarian tribe, you begin to live your life with your eyes and heart wide open. When the Spirit of God envelops your soul, your spirit comes alive, and everything changes for you. You are no longer the same."
Jesus did not suffer and die so that we could build for ourselves havens, but so that we might expand the kingdom of His love.
Barbarian Way - Part 2
waahhh....thanks for sharing, ci!
ReplyDelete