I have the privilege of highlighting Steve Hutston and his
book In Search of Clarity. I met Steve
when I queried him with my own novel. You see, he’s my agent.
A little while ago, Steve asked if anyone would like to review his book. I volunteered. After all, he's read my book, so I should read his. And what better way to get to know a person than to read the things they've written. It was, however a
slightly scary thing to do. I mean, what if I don’t like it? It’s non-fiction,
something I don’t usually prefer, but I'd give it a shot. He wants me to be honest in my review, so I
will. Let me say that I was pleased to have read a thought provoking commentary
on our approach to Christianity.
Hutson brings us along with his own spiritual journey as he
asks the hard, often unasked questions regarding faith. Questions like, “Why do
we do the things we do?”, “Where did our belief in X really come from?”, and “Are those beliefs scriptural beliefs or just a cultural tradition passed through the
generations?” (My paraphrasing) Each step of the way, Huston challenges the reader
to think through every decision related to their own faith, and he does so in a way that's easy to read, weaving in his own experiences to heighten reader interest.
How many times do
we approach our faith with blind eye, not knowing we can’t see? We accept
what’s been done in the past and what we’ve been taught in our childhood
without examining the reasons behind our actions or traditions. Using Biblical
references, Hutson proves how important it is to seek the truth for ourselves.
We’ve been given the greatest gift of truth in the Holy Scriptures, yet we often fail
to use it to discover that truth or to question our faith.
I believe God wants us to question why we believe what we
believe. In my opinion, He doesn’t desire followers who follow only because
their parents did, or one who follow the motions without having a close relationship
with him. He wants us to ask the hard questions. And He’s ready with the
answers if only we’ll seek him.
So thanks to Hutson for this reminder.
Readers, I join Mr. Hutson and challenge you to go on your
own search for clarity.
Interesting. We are definitely in an age of 'questioning' when it comes to religion and belief systems.
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