By Mark Townsend
Published by O Books, £9.99
Review by: Karen
I admit to being puzzled as to how
to review this book – not because of its merit, for within its context, it is
good – but because at its heart is a fundamental premise that some people take
as axiomatic, others strongly disagree with, and many have no opinion about one
way or the other. Moreover, our position on that premise is as much a matter of
experiential inner knowing as it is of belief systems. It can neither be proved
nor disproved, and where you stand is going to colour your view of this
book. If the very idea of a single creator god (even if unconditionally
loving towards creation) makes you want to spit nails, leave this book alone –
or, as I suspect the author would say, read it and see what happens. For his
desire is that "you will begin to discover your own true value as a human
being made in the image of God, [and to close the book] feeling as if some huge
weight has been removed.". Granted, that's aimed at fellow-christians,
and that's the world this book aims at.
The purpose (as opposed
to premise) of the book is simply to lead us to the deep understanding that the
greatest spiritual gift potentially lies in failure. When we hit rock bottom,
when our human vessel is cracked and our ego shattered, that's when
transformation can take place. We have the chance, if we're willing, to see who
we truly are, masks and pretences and 'successfulness' removed. The chance to
discover the hidden gold within, what he calls the Divine-Me as opposed to the
little-me – which can only happen when the big successful perfectionist
striving me is broken. Or at least feels broken. And this is where God
can reach us, God being creator and separate, and also intimately us, hidden
within.
Happily, the author makes it clear
that organised religion also more often than not operates from little-me and
urges us early and repeatedly to avoid the trap of trying to be a 'perfect'
Christian (and by implication, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist or Druid): "If we
try too hard to be the perfect Christian we will in fact be working against the
current of God's transforming Grace rather than with it.".
Mark Townsend is an Anglican priest,
and a member of The Magic Circle, and this book came from his preparation for a
workshop of the same name. Its origin in workshop is clear - he uses
magical tricks, no doubt to great effect, but I fear the effect is lessened
seen in photo form – and optical illusion, he quotes quite freely from other
authors as well as the Bible, from his own diaries, and from a workshop
participant's written work in one of the appendices. It's very personal -
his own journey - easy to read, lively and in places moving and
thought-provoking. Unfortunately, I suspect that those who need to have
those thoughts provoked are the least likely to read it – the old Pharisees vs.
sinners problem all over again.
And in the end, it's one man's
personal version of a quest and an insight that is nothing new, nor even in its
pure form confined to any religious approach. It's essentially a
beginner's book for people who have begun to suspect that the outer trappings
of life aren't it, that they keep us – even the religious trappings – in what
the Buddhists would call suffering, keep us from who we truly are. And speaking
as a Christ-loving (amongst others) hedge-Druid, I'd have liked a little more
on the ecstasy possible through utter surrender! But it's a good book, and will
have a good effect, for the right people in the right context.
(Druids: give it to all your pious Christian
friends for Easter!)
available from Amazon.co.uk
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