"The Barbarian Way"

Another week, another book. Thanks goes to Ashley for leaving some of her books here in the apartment! I just recently finished reading The Barbarian Way by Erwin Raphael McManus. In this book, "McManus calls you to return to the ancient, primal, and dangerous faith of Jesus and His early disciples. Let go of a sanitized Christianity and get back to the powerful, raw, and ancient faith that chooses revolution over compromise, peril over safety, and passion over lukewarm and watered-down religion."

Ok, I understand this may sound a little scary. Believe me, it is definitely worth a read. McManus presents to the reader a different way of going about life as a Christian, a not so safe way. After reading some reviews, I can see many people mistook what he was trying to say with this book. I don't think the author is leading us to get ourselves killed by our faith, but rather to take more risks and ultimately have a conversation with God.

I agree with McManus in that somewhere along the way, Christianity became tamed. Many of us think it is supposed to be an easy life, one of certainty, routines, reaching others in a conventional way. Matthew 10:16 says "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." 


The author talks a lot about John the Baptist. This was a guy that wore animal skins and ate bugs and honey. Wouldn't you want to hang out with him? He was quite a character, but I think he realized God didn't mean for us to live a "safe" life. We have to live out our faith, in whatever way God asks us to. Sometimes this may mean moving to another country or just showing love to people in our community that get no care.


When the word "barbarian" comes to mind, we probably think of someone thrashing through, on a mission to do something with no care of the consequences. I don't think this is how we should interpret this book. McManus shows us a good analogy of how we should be barbarians: to be like a rhino. Apparently rhinos can only see ahead of them 30 miles. Does that stop them from running as fast as they can? No, because they are armed with a huge horn on their heads! Just like rhinos, we are uncertain of what may come, but we are armed with Jesus himself.