I’ve been reading Jen Hatmaker’s books for a few years now, and I love her perspective on living the Christian life. So, when her husband, Brandon, released a book about finding deeper faith, I was eager to read it.
A Mile Wide: Trading a Shallow Religion for a Deeper Faith is a must-read, first for those who desire to lead others toward the kind of discipleship Jesus modeled, and second, for any follower of Jesus who isn’t satisfied with the life of faith they now lead. But the warning is this: Hatmaker offers principles that lead to a deeper faith resulting from sometimes difficult choices. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book through the BookLook Bloggers program, and my opinion of the book was not influenced by that.)
“We are to consider deeply how the application of what we believe impacts how others view (Jesus) and his kingdom. It’s an exchange in how we think about everything.” (p. 5)
Hatmaker builds his case for deeper faith by transforming our view of the Gospel and expanding it (the Gospel in us), then transferring that new view to the work of the kingdom (the Gospel through us).
An example:
“A shallow religion survives from event to event and program to program. A deeper faith is rooted in trusting relationships where permission is granted to struggle, fail, and take risks.” (p 113)
I’m challenged and encouraged by Hatmaker’s ideas to make faith more than a checklist of things to get right. And I trust his words because he backs them up with his own stories of getting it wrong.
The book’s title draws from an 19th century saying (Hatmaker references it in the introduction): “A mile wide and an inch deep.” It’s a phrase that isn’t meant to be a compliment. In the case of A Mile Wide, the book doesn’t live up to its name, and that’s a good thing.