Today, July 8, 2009, is the Book Bomb on Amazon.com for Shawn Wood’s latest book entitled, Wasabi Gospel. Here’s the link to buy the book, for those of you who are too impatient to read my review first:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/entity/-/B001JSAWAU
Or, if you’re like me and you live in Canada, here’s the Amazon.ca link:
Wasabi Gospel
I had the privilege of being among the few (or many?) to preview this book, and was quite eager to do so after quickly devouring Mr. Wood’s first book, 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One.
Since I am a procrastinator by nature, I figured I’d end up taking the easy route in writing a review and pick my favorite chapter. And I knew by quickly scanning the chapter titles which one I’d choose, because Shawn had me at Chapter One: God, I’ll Take the Mercy, but Give the Idiot Who Cut Me Off in Traffic Justice. That title is so me (my wife will back me up on that statement).
But once I get into a book and I like it, I can’t put it down (or, if it’s online, turn off the computer). This is what happened with Wasabi Gospel.
Shawn puts things in perspective — somehow MY perspective — which is important, because when I’m reading a book, I have to make some sort of a connection with the author, otherwise I’ll inevitably be putting the book down one fifth of the way through.
And although I intended to stick with Chapter One, Shawn hit me with the wasabi-punch many times over throughout the entire book, forcing me to read through the entire thing in two sittings (last night until 2:00 a.m., and then this morning).
Without spoiling too much detail (you’ve got to get your own wasabi gut-punch), here are a few things that hit me:
- I admit it - I want mercy for ME; justice for YOU (that one hurt)
- I need to offer mercy and peace; no matter what
- My feelings can’t be trusted; if I don’t feel like forgiving, that’s probably a good sign that I really need to
- I need to learn to cut everyone some slack
- I have to constantly look for “windows to the heart” in others
- “…the more you are forgiven for, the better you feel”
- I must let go of things I think are too horrible for God to forgive, because He never said, “Well I paid for everything — just not that!”
- I hang onto guilt, but I need to remember that God chose me, and He forgave me
- I can’t hate anybody, and Matthew 5:43-48 tells me I always have to shoot for ‘perfect’
- I need to become “a Christ-follower and not just a feelings follower”
- Mercy totally goes against our grain, but when we “defy all of the logic of our hearts and actually forgive and love those who seek to hurt us”, that’s when lives are changed
- To love our enemies is not natural — that’s why it’s so difficult (actually, none of this Jesus stuff is natural — it’s much easier to ignore Him, turn our backs on Him, and live however we please)
- A huge gut-punch for me is the reality that whenever there is a bigger margin in my life given to me by God, my first reaction is to keep it all to myself
- We can’t look back to our former lives (as Franco (Raul Julia) said in The Gumball Rally as he ripped the rear-view mirror off the car he was in said, “What’s-a behind me is not important!”)
- Our “whacked-out” desires don’t matter — we need new ones (you’ll have to read this one yourself for Shawn’s great explanation), and again, this is not natural for us to get over
- I’ve heard Shawn tell the “poop” story live; still enjoyed hearing (reading) it again
- “…the scary sin that is not easily discarded and in out hearts we think may actually beat us in the end” (I don’t like clowns <*shudder*>)
- Our real problems lie with our hearts — we’ve all got heart issues
Oh, and Shawn, thanks for making me cry when I read about the lollipop man. (Shawn also had me wiping some tears away when I read 200 Pomegranates.)
So there you have it. I’m glad Shawn likes to write… about stuff. The thing I admire most about Shawn’s writing style is that he writes like he speaks — naturally, and on my level. He takes biblical truths that we often overlook or see as mundane and easy to dismiss, and turns them into bite-sized nuggets that are difficult to swallow, and not so easy to digest. It’s refreshing to get challenged by the simple things.
Shawn, keep up the great work!
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