★★★★★
100
pages into this book, I must admit that I've been reading it wrong.
This is a book to be savored, not studied. For the first time ever, I’m
providing a review before I finish a book … because I refuse to read
this one like a novel or a textbook. Instead, I'm going to read a little
each week, finding words to meditate upon for that week. With that in
mind, and with David’s permission, I'll get the word out now about his
accomplishment and then let its chapters form the basis of a few blog
posts over the next few months. I have no qualms about awarding an early
rating of five stars.
David
Lundberg has carefully compiled quotes (over 800 of them) from seven of
the world's major religions--Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism--and organized them together under
inspirational topics to emphasize how all of our religions are founded
upon the same God-given principles. It's an undertaking that must have
been enormous.
Now,
I don't actually think David has discovered a supernatural thread
running through the world's religions. There is nothing very mystical in
these teachings, as if a Higher Power purposefully seeded each religion
in the same manner. And to be honest, it does seem like David pushes
the boundaries just a little here and there to squeeze all seven
religions into every one of his topics, but if you're satisfied with
comparing the spirit of the writings instead of demanding a
perfect fit, it all comes together. There's something very satisfying
about reaching down to our religions' common denominators and finding
the same spirit throughout the world. Especially when a recent poll
reveals that 69% of American adults believe that religious differences
are the biggest roadblock to the attainment of world peace.
True
story: my review copy arrived about a month late for some reason. My
blog partner would call this timing a "God thing," because I happened to
turn the cover just as I was going through a trying experience. Chapter
one begins with the principle that "life with God is good," and shows
how this teaching permeates all seven religions. Even though the various
religions picture God in different ways, this worldwide discovery had a
settling effect. So, yeah, I felt an immediate connection.
Now,
don’t get me wrong. Christianity is my heritage, and Jesus is my guy.
But I couldn't count the number of times I have tried to initiate a
forum discussion highlighting the underlying commonalities of various
religions, in hopes of uncovering the foundation—the God-experiences and
the universal understandings—shared by all. I personally think David's
dig-down religion, and his picture of the universal God, is still a bit
restrictive (God for David is omni-everything but still very personal
and conscious, in a manner which doesn't seem to me to entirely jibe
with the concept of "God" in various Eastern religions), but I'll just
chalk David’s up to an eighth religion with similar principles. :)
We
all have divine potential, David insists, and he discusses 22
responsibilities that we need to attune to, according to our various
religions, in order to grow in our Oneness with God. I haven't gotten
through all of them yet, but I’m finding his book to be an inspiring and
promising bit of research. Highly recommended!
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