How Now Shall We Live is one of my favorite books. I have just read it for the second time and couldn't help but share about it. I hope this would encourage some to go out and buy it. So, without further ado, here is my book review....
How Now Shall We Live is one of the most brilliant and exciting books I have ever read. It accomplishes every purpose behind its writing by sparking a fire of interest and motivation deep within your heart. I found myself absorbed in every word. Charles Colson keeps the book moving forward by telling moving stories to get his point across. This is one thing that sets it apart from other books of the same nature.
Colson starts off with a great story about a man who started a prison fellowship to get you hooked. Then he proceeds to explain his purpose for the story in the next chapter. He makes some very bold, yet Biblical statements. The reader is taught why it is important to know about other worldviews. It is imperative for Christians to be able to relate to unbelievers so that we can stand our ground when debating very important worldviews. He talks about where some Christians have gone wrong in reducing our beliefs to “little more than private feelings and experience.” When we understand that our religion is much more that just beliefs; we will be able to make a great change in the course of world history.
Colson introduces three questions to ask when analyzing any worldview. This will become very important though out the rest of the book. We are to ask about Creation; “where did we come from and who are we?”, the Fall; “what has gone wrong with the world?”, and Redemption; “what can we do to fix it?” These will help us dissect any view and tell us how rational and functional they are in the world.
In the beginning, he attacks the Naturalist and Postmodernist worldview. Colson describes in convincing detail how humans were created in God’s image for His purpose. He explains how evolution is impossible and all scientific information actually points to Creationism no matter what major textbooks say. He goes on to explain how Intelligent Design works and how for many years scientist have been fudging their data to prove otherwise. However we are seeing a slow moving trend in the right direction which only proves that God will prevail in the end.
Since people are believed to be good at birth, Utopianism in various forms has been very popular yet proven over and over again to be a fallacy. It is ludicrous that these worldviews have led to no absolutes. “Tolerance has become so important that no exception is tolerated,” making it the only absolute. No matter what the worldview, there is no explanation for right and wrong, which is leading the word into a chaotic order. It has made it very difficult for our court systems to make judgments because of this. If right and wrong is a personal opinion, then judges can make up laws and change rulings to suit there own agenda’s. This is a whole different subject presented later on in the book. Colson’s story about a real Florida cult really drove the Utopian idea home and explained how things go wrong.
Socialism is derived from this Utopian ideology and the Utopian idea completely contradicts what we know to be true from personal experience. Colson explains that people are not born pure, but into sin, causing bad things to happen in this life. People continue to look for circumstances that make people bad instead of seeing it as a problem with the soul. This means there is no need for redemption. These are not new problems the world faces. There are many different worldviews that share these same twisted ideas in one way or another. The same issues we see today were seen in the Garden of Eden, which is the cause of it all: the Fall.
Colson attacks many important issues that almost every unbeliever asks. He explains why suffering happens if God loves us so much. Suffering comes from the Fall and the fact that we have free will. All of His creation was affected because of it. Since God is perfect, He made a perfect world with perfect free creatures. These perfect creatures have used their freedom to do wrong. He goes on to say that we would not be fully human if God hadn’t given us this freedom. We would be no different from any other creature. We would be just like the cogs of a machine as the Naturalists believe.
This takes care of two of our three questions; creation, and the fall. What about Redemption? Colson says that it is a logical conclusion that since God is perfect and loving that He would provide us with a way out of despair. He would even give His life and bear the punishment His creatures deserve since he is the only one who could overcome it. People naturally have a longing to believe in something and to be redeemed by something. That is why every other worldview offers both. Even if the belief is in nothing there are still a variety of products on the market aimed at meeting our “needs.” Some people believe that science is the way to salvation while others go so far as to believe that sex liberates them. There are even some strange ideas about how our genes are like little gods and they have created us. After we’ve died, our genes will live on, ever evolving. Christianity has the only answer to sin; Redemption.
Once these main three points have been made about Christianity, Colson continues on with picking apart today’s society. He warns readers about the dangers of the New Age movement and how many of its philosophies are inter-weaved into our everyday lives and our schools. He warns that it is just another “Escalator Myth,” designed to make people feel good about themselves. Society has become scarily selfish and that has caused major problems in our public and private school systems because we put more emphasis on feelings instead of academics. In the context of schools, children are never made to feel wrong. Too often we do not teach our children the difference between right and wrong and then lovingly correct them when they mess up. Other countries are outsmarting Americans in academics because of this “enlightened” idea. It is a new way of thinking and it is our duty as Christians to stand up against these false ideologies and restore God’s idea of learning.
After a story about a converted convict who went on to be a chaplain in his old prison, Colson changes gear again. He explains why it is important for Christians to scatter out and start making changes in every walk of life. Restoration to our higher calling and purpose is prominently stressed from here on out. As redeemed creatures we are free to fulfill our purpose. Colson urges us to “bring all things under the lordship of Christ.” It is important to display and apply our Christian values at work and home as well as at church. It will take Christians of all races and backgrounds to make the point of impact and feel the power of the gospel worldwide.
He goes on to say that it’s good and right for us to take the blame for our own mistakes. Today’s society is full of people who are all too quick to point a finger in any direction since there are no moral absolutes. We must be held accountable and remain humble. Most of today’s problems are a result of moral choices but most people do not want to admit this fact. Once again, it is our duty to point out false teachings and set records straight by showing that we are not tolerant of the way things are going. The story about a police officer on Brooklyn streets is a perfect example of how we can make a difference. It will take determination and involvement but it can be done.
Colson continues on with several different scenarios and real life stories that really help to instill his point of making Christianity a way of life and not just a set of rules to be followed on Sunday. He gives the reader specific people to look up to and demonstrates how one person can make a difference in every area of our lives. He talks about crime prevention and the government with fervor. He explains the broken window theory and how we can restore our neighborhoods and instill community values in them. Colson then ties in how even our workplace can and should be used for God’s purpose.
I believe one of my favorite chapters is toward the end. It is about popular culture. He compares it to junk food. A little will not hurt you but a sordid diet of it will ruin your appetite for learning about God. He even goes on to explain how it actually depraves the mind of thinking. He teaches us how to recognize anti-Christian bits of culture that sneak into our lives and how to stand against it. We can win back our culture one song and painting at a time.
With all of this said, I will definitely read this book for a third time, or until its thoughts are thoroughly engrained in my mind. In my experience as a reader, I have found it very common to disagree with at lease a few points made in this type of book. However, there was only one point that I did not completely agree with. That was one sentence which stated that Colson has been known to “bribe” his grandchildren into not watching television. I am not sure what he meant by this statement but keeping children unaware of what is going on around them could be dangerous. To be prepared and aware are the reasons Colson wrote this book. People who are sheltered and unprepared to tackle the issues of the day are the people Charles Colson wrote this book for.
I must say that this book has caused me to look at almost every aspect of my life in a different light. I view work, television, music, art and even the way I will raise my future children differently. I have a better understanding of my own religion. I think this is a book that should be used in every church across the globe for bible study groups. It really gives a challenge to society and I feel that if we each take the time and effort to stand firm, we can truly make a difference and help lead our world toward victory in Christ.
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