22nd April, 2010

DAVID ADAMS

The Vertical Self: How Biblical Faith Can Help Us Discover Who We Are In An Age of Self Obsession

Mark Sayers

Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0849920004

"Clear and concise, Sayer’s conversational tone makes for an easy read which delivers valuable - and what could be life-changing - insights into how to walk a fulfilling life with Christ."

Who are you? No, really, who are you? It’s this question that lies at the heart of Mark Sayers’ book, The Vertical Self – a book which attempts to explain why it is we struggle so hard to find our identity in God. And what we can do about it.

The book starts with an explanation of what Sayers’ means by the term ‘vertical self’ - in a nutshell, looking to God as the authority instead of our peers or the media - and then goes on to explain the sorts of identities we can assume when we take the wrong path.

Particularly interesting was Sayers’ discussions of the origins of the words ‘cool’ and ‘sexy’ - in the end just another attempt to define ourselves without reference to God.

He then looks at tough question of what it truly means to be holy, a concept which Sayers says doesn’t mean fleeing from the world or being scared of becoming a “Christian dork” and embracing the world’s values, but rather understanding that God’s interest in our lives extends far beyond the moment of our salvation to the daily challenges we face.

“To walk the path of holiness,” he says, “we need to rediscover a biblical holiness grounded in the value of creation.”

Not an easy call but one which Sayers readily admits we have to work at daily with “blood, sweat and tears”, particularly given the often contradictory messages society constantly throws at us about following the rules and following our desires.

Sayers goes on to explain how the Bible resolves the contradiction through the redemption of our desires, a process which will lead to a fulfilled life in which your true self is more fully embraced.

Clear and concise, Sayer’s conversational tone makes for an easy read which delivers valuable - and what could be life-changing - insights into how to walk a fulfilling life with Christ.

Containing a handy study guide at the end, it’s also one you can easily dip into again and again whenever you need a reminder to look vertically and not horizontally.  In fact, he calls the book his ‘white stone’ to us – a gift to remind us of where God has written our names. As that, it’s something we can treasure.

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