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Book Review – The Rabbi's Heartbeat |
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by Brennan Manning
Publisher: NavPress
Review by Tom Gilbert
Brennan Manning has spent a good deal of time coming to grips
with what he calls the Imposter. In his best-selling
book, Abba’s
Child, he goes into detail about this
and relates how he’s discovered peace and joy from
truly believing and accepting that he is one of God’s
beloved children.
The theme is continued in his book, The
Rabbi’s Heartbeat. Indeed,
it is a devotional companion to Abba’s Child. It’s not necessary
to read the latter, but I found it helpful.
Themes such as true self acceptance and forgiveness, belief in the eternal
constant grace that God pours out upon us all (both the good and bad),
and learning to live in love are still radical. Precisely because Jesus
lived this way and taught others to do the same is why a book like this
is helpful. I know these truths, but I often fail the test of being Christ-like.
The Good Shepherd leads and assists. We can learn so much from the way Jesus cared and interacted with
us. It reveals a God that is compassionate and vulnerable – a daring combination! Because God dares to let
us see Him suffer (through Christ) we can learn that He will use all our hurts and shame to heal us and
even those we reach out to in their pain. The surprise you may encounter is that we can’t hide from
life’s dangers; we should not even try. We also can’t pretend this danger isn’t real.
Awakening to what life is really about can be rude…and rewarding.
One of the proofs that this little gem of a book is worthwhile was the day I was constantly agitated
and irritable at work. The odd thing was I felt this way for no good reason. I wasn’t ill, homeless, upset
at any particular person or hungry. I’d even enjoyed a peaceful morning of contemplative prayer.
Yet, by the afternoon I was squirming. It was just one of those ordinary days where I felt a soul rebellion
that sometimes rises from the dark pit of my self-centeredness. Almost out of distraction I picked up The Rabbi’s Heartbeat to continue the reading I’d started about a week before. Chapter six
squarely met my disgruntled self by describing how important it is for each of us, all “ordinary people”
as the chapter title suggests, to recognize that we are each extraordinary in our status as beloved
of God. No matter how unworthy we think we are, no matter how small,
petty or insignificant God considers us one of His children. It’s
hard to feel sorry for yourself when the impact of that is honestly felt.
What it ultimately comes down to is the issue of either living solely
for self and the enslavement of approval from others, or living the new
life for and from Christ. To be confronted about our shortcomings is
not comfortable. However, Brennan Manning has a way of doing this in
such a loving manner that I found myself looking much closer at how I am following Jesus.
The truth of real discipleship is that of a servant’s heart. God
as a servant – such a scandalous thought to most of us! Yet, that
is precisely what God shows us through Jesus. To love is to serve.
The book is set in four parts that address being true
to ourselves, living in a constant state of childlike
love, accepting with responsibility the constant flow
of grace and letting your heart
lead
(not your head). Each section has a few short chapters
and each can be taken as a short devotional that will
lead you to interior contemplation and joyful recognition
that God loves us first.
Children don’t earn their parents’ love. Parents love them
because they are their children. Thus it is when we
lean our head on the breast of our Savior and listen
to the Rabbi’s
heartbeat.
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered
trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either
trademark for the offering of goods or services requires
the prior written consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy
Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used
by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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