Go ahead! Eat each and every page from Introduction to the last little morsel.
Eat it as John of Patmos ate the scroll of the angel in imitation of Ezekiel before him. Eat this book as nourishment — food for the soul.
It's sad to say but many, in dining on this delight, will be 'oblivious to the obvious' — that what we consume is and always will be what makes us who we are:
“Oblivious to the obvious — that it is given to us in the form of a story that is intended to shape our entire lives into the story of following Jesus, a life lived to the glory of God.”
And it is Peterson's obvious purpose to have us enter a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ as we feed on this word that points to the Word:
“Eat this Book is my metaphor of choice for focusing attention on what is involved in reading our Holy Scriptures formatively, that is, in such a way that the Holy Spirit uses them to form Christ in us.”
Scripture is part of our nurturing in the faith. Worship takes us to the place of an intimate conversation with God. Scripture is our way into the liturgy and scripture needs to become more of a spiritual exercise for those who would grow in faith. So Peterson invites us to explore the ancient experience of lectio divina — spiritual reading. This form of biblical reading takes us beyond any attempt to find answers or study doctrine. And then Peterson shares his personal experience of translating ancient words to give a balanced diet to modern readers as he recounts his long years working on his best-selling The Message.
Those who find in Peterson a present prophet will find much to chew on in his this work. Those who may be a little pickier in their eating habits will find this work well worth digesting … yes, to the last morsel!
