The Vertical Self [book review]

The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers is an insightful read.  Mark establishes early on that our identity ought to be found in our vertical self as opposed to our horizontal self which is what our present day society places emphasis on.  At the core of the vertical self is an identity found in God—He is our creator and we are created in His image.  Conversely the horizontal self is more concerned about our image of being sexy, cool and glamorous.

I found this book to be very beneficial in my own life.  It was the type of thing that came at the right time.  As a matter-a-fact, I was en route to speak at an event this past weekend at a University campus church in Chattanooga, TN when I came across this paragraph:

A respected pastor and I were having a conversation.  Because I’m involved with young adult ministry, she asked me about her son.  She was worried about his connection to his faith.  She told me she couldn’t understand how someone who’d had such profound encounters with the Holy Spirit could seem to be walking away from his faith.  I told her not to overestimate the ability of young adults today to simply consume and then discard experiences without allowing them to have any effect on their view of the world whatsoever.  She seemed genuinely dumbstruck by my response.  But think about it.  Teenagers watch a horror film at a sleepover to enjoy the fear and suspense of murder without the carnage and cost… A group of guys watches a heavyweight bout to enjoy the thrill of physical combat without the risk of injury or personal cost.  The entertainment age and the horizontal self have led us to divorce what we believe from what we experience, see, and feel.  The elephant in the living room of contemporary Christianity is people’s ability to simply sit in church, to consume the experience the way one would a great sporting event, a thrilling movie, or an exciting theme park ride, and then to dispose of it, totally unchanged at the soul level, as they leave the sanctuary. Sure, they might feel challenged, encouraged, or even moved, but the horizontal self simply “feels” the experience and moves on. ~ page 51

Sayers points out that before the modern era, people in Western civilizations by and large lived in very rural settings where everyone knew each other and family units were still intact over several generations.  The value was placed more on who you are, not what you do.  Whereas today, much value is placed on what you can produce in a short amount of time.  People aren’t concerned as much about your character as much as they are about your performance.  Additionally we move away from our families into larger cities.  As a result we become anonymous by most and can get away with almost anything.  This obviously has huge repercussions as it pertains to our relationship with Jesus. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is in ministry as well as anyone who loves God and desires a deeper walk with Him.  Your time will not be wasted, rather enriched as you read!

Enjoy!

Posted by matthew gamble on June 01, 2010 at 08:16 AM
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