There is another phrase from the Chronicles of Narnia that I feel applies to this whole John Eldredge, "Wild at Heart" discussion.
Just as an explanation, when the Hero, Aslan the Lion, defeats the Snow Queen He does it by applying a "Deeper Magic" than the magic the Snow Queen knows.
What I love about John Eldredge's book, "Wild at Heart" and what Eldredge is trying to do is to heal the deep wounds of the hearts of men. Now, I'm sure most of you know that many men would rather jab their eye repeatedly with a sharp object than to talk about their feelings. Yet, Eldredge is able to open up his heart and get to the heart of many men through his book. So, in the end, this is what I love about "Wild at Heart".
Some of the negative reviews that I have read about "Wild at Heart" accuse Eldredge of being 'shallow'. I could not disagree more. The things of the soul are very deep and hidden from view. "Wild at Heart" deals with the deep places of a man's heart and the deep wounds that a man can acquire as a boy, specifically from his father. And, though he never uses the phrase from the Narnia books, Eldredge appeals to a "deeper magic" than even the level of the soul. He points men to draw on the deeper things of the Spirit and get their healing from God their heavenly Father.
As a person who also looks to the Father, the Spirit, and to Jesus as the Healer, the over all message of Wild at Heart is much appreciated.
The short comings are that Eldredge focuses a bit much on the wounds that a father gives to the neglect of other wounds, like from a mother, or from culture. There are so many things that can wound a child. It can be one or both parents. It can be passed down curses or family dynamics. It can be negative ancestral influences. It can be cultural influences.
My point is this. When a child is conceived and given birth to, there is much foundation building in the early part of the child's life. Anywhere along the way, things can be missed or abuses can be committed. What the child should have been given, in the way of development was withheld. Also what the child might have developed naturally, if just given a stable environment, can be destroyed by someone or something in the child's surroundings.
Anyway, whatever goes on that wounds or even destroys the child, this is a deep wound in a deep place of who the child is. It takes something deep to reach that soul realm. The soul is very deep. But there is "a deeper magic still" that is found in the spirit realm.
And we are encouraged in the Bible to look at and trust in that which is deep an not readily seen.
2 Corinthians 4:8 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Sometimes going deeper is intimidating or even frightening. But I believe in the deeper things of the Spirit.
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3 comments:
I absolutely loved Wild At Heart, but I had no idea it was written to only relate to men. That's misogynist. It makes no sense.
If, like me, you read the book as if it's written to believers, there is a lot of good in that book, especially for the more literary soul.
Interesting that you liked it too. Did you know that it was written for Y chromosomes only?
It's hard to remember.
It was such a spiritual experience.
I saw it on a shelf at a discount story an hour away from my house and was drawn to it immediately. I picked it up read the back, wanted it really bad but put it back because of our strict budget.
A month later I was in that store again, drawn to the book just as strongly if not stronger and decided I had to get it.
I think I had a vague notion that it was more for men but felt that God wanted ME to get something from it. So I opened up and let God minister to me using the book.
Since it did such good things for me, I expected it to do the same things for my husband.
Boy, was I wrong.
He never finished it, but got enough from it that he decided that he was a man and that meant he could do whatever want.
Any time I tried to tell him anything, he'd get made and remind me that he was the man and that he could do whatever he wanted.
Any way, it justified bad behavior in my husband rather than setting him free. It was so bad I entertained the thought of writing John Eldredge and telling him about it because I was so dismayed.
I eventually learned that it had the same adverse effect on other men.
So this is why I have such a strong love/hate relationship with the book.
I'm going to read this book- thanks for the review
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