Close Enough to Hear God Breathe

What do we know about God from reading the Scripture?  Do we have a favorable view about God? Greg Paul gives us an image of a loving Father. One may argue that such view is not possible.  The account in Genesis 3 seems to suggest the image of an angry God.  In that story, God banished Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden after they ate the forbidden fruit.  How can we say that God is a loving Father? A loving Father should forgive his children when they fail.  Paul argues that even in the story of the Fall, we can trace God's love.  From Genesis to Revelation, there is one great theme. That theme is God's passionate love for all humanity (:28).

Paul argues that the Fall is not the end of God's love.  In the Old Testament, we read over and over God's unfailing love to the people of Israel. God never abandoned them (:73).  Their sin is the proof of God's grace. Concerning the account in Genesis 3, who grieves?  The banishment of Adam and Eve from the garden is a costly sacrifice for God.  He had created everything for them, and now he would have to let them go and allow them to learn from the consequences of their actions.  No longer God would be able to delight in daily intimacy with them; instead, he would have to watch them from a far.  Finally, the evidence of God's love is the "bright beads of blood on his fingers" (:74).  The apex of God's love can be seen in the crucifixion of His Beloved Son.

Paul has skillfully presented to us the Great Story of God's passionate love for all humanity.  He woven together the biblical reflection with his personal stories involving the struggles from his own life and from his church's members. He presented his argument by structuring the stories around the four common components of biblical drama: Creation, the Fall, Redemption, and the Fall.

When I read the first few chapters, I almost wrote negative comments on the book.  My first initial reaction is that the book lacks theological depth.  Too much emphasis on personal stories.  It is more personal experience focused.  However, my appreciation for Paul begins when he begins to uncover the theme of God's grace in Genesis 3. He reorients my understanding of Genesis 3.  The focus is not on punishment.  The focus is God's costly love.  I also appreciate Greg's honesty.  He isn't shy in sharing his own personal struggles--his failed marriage and his broken relationship with his father and brother.  Through brokenness, he discovers God's grace.

I would rate the book 5 stars for its insightful message and its challenge.  It invites me to reexamine my life and reflects on my brokenness.  Unless I can be honest with my brokenness, I would not be able to appreciate the depth of God's grace.  In this regard, I recommend highly the book for both seekers and maturing Christians that they would not take the grace of God for granted.