Book Review - Writing In The Sand by Thomas Moore

Those who know me, know that I am not a religious person. I have a strong belief in and a wonderful relationship with God, however I do not follow any religion. I was raised as a Southern Baptist and over the years have studied many religions. My problem with religion is that it is man-made and many feel that the way to achieve followers is to scare them with threats of judgement, persecution and eternal hellfire. My other main problem with religions is the single-minded aspects of them. You must believe in their doctrine and no other or you will burn in hell. If one truly looks at all religions, one can see the parallels. Many have the same teachings and fundamentals only with different terminology. Maybe, I am naive, but my God is not a hateful and revengeful God. He is loving and nurturing and above all else, accepting. He does not care what you call him or what religious group you belong to. He does not turn his back on you when you do the wrong thing. He loves you unconditionally. Unconditional love, a novel idea in modern society.

It is because of my beliefs that I am often intrigued by religious books, but I rarely come across a book on religion that is so provocative it moves me and mirrors my own beliefs; Writing In The Sand by Thomas Moore is such a book. Moore shows us a different side of the Gospels. He takes the judgement out of it and leaves you with a path to the Kingdom of Heaven within yourself. He does this without ever telling the reader what he should think or feel. Moore simply gives you a view different from established doctrine. Moore shows us the human side of Jesus. Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not the founder of a religion. Man, many centuries after his death, created Christianity. When I began reading this book, I was reminded of another book that moved me, The Shack by William P. Young. In that book, the author has Jesus say he is not a Christian. Such a simply thing to write, but when one considers it in context of modern religions and dogma, it is profound. I have often wondered why so many Christian based religions have such a problem with the concept of a human Jesus. His being human does not diminish his life or his teachings in my eyes. If anything it makes me feel that much stronger that I should follow his teachings. I often refer to myself as Christian, not because I ascribe to a religios doctrine but because I do strive to follow the teachings of Christ and the example he gave.

In Writing in the Sand, Moore takes you on a ground-breaking journey through the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus. Moore gives you Jesus - the Visitor, the Shaman, the Healer, and the Man. He shows you a refreshing look at the Gospels, where the Kingdom is not a place we seek at our death, but waiting inside us to be awakened. He talks of how life should be lived and enjoyed as Jesus lived and enjoyed his life. How we can transcend the negative in life by seeing the virtue in the strife that we face. That we will make mistakes and commit sins, but that in those missteps we have the potential to awaken a part of our soul that will lead us into the Kingdom in our everyday lives. It is often hard to get past the rhetoric of life and envision a new way of thinking, feeling, looking at the world. Moore spells it out so enigmatically and yet so simply that one is compelled to start that journey. The introduction in Writing in the Sand, alone could serve as a catalyst for a new way of thinking. And yet he gives you so much more. Moore gives you a visual of the Kingdom as it has been seen and then takes you through a captivating new vision of what the Kingdom can be if one takes off the blinders and sees all the nuances Jesus left for us to follow. Moore shows you the parallels in Buddhism, ancient Greek mythology, Native American shamanism and much more. He gives you the Gospels in a world view context that opens it up for everyone, no matter what religion they follow. Even those that follow no religion or ideology can see the bounty, this way of embracing life, community and love can give the modern world and make it a better place.

Moore addresses our spiritual side. He shows how demons(whether you believe in actual demons or the desires and obsessions that we allow to entangle us) have a profound effect on how we see and react to the world. How we often fail to notice greed, anger, rage, jealousy, etc. as demons and that through acknowledging our demons we can heal them. Moore writes that Jesus was not moralistic when he cast out demons. He did not make light of the dark side of life but was healing the pain he found in those plagued by demons. There is not simply good and evil. One can not begin a crusade against evil as evil is subjective. One must focus on the illness, the pain and strive to heal. It is in that healing that evil will be cast out. If one is to emulate Jesus, one must see the value in every kind of person and walk through life not judging but being attentive and offering kindness, love and acceptance. It is walking through life in this way that one has power of over the demonic and the ability to reach the Kingdom.

Moore takes you further with a look at the softer, playful side. He discusses the importance of community, enjoying each others company, not closing yourself off to the world but in truly living it. "Breaking Bread" is a theme that symbolizes this. He writes that it is through these deep feeling of community and compassion that ones soul and spirit shines. Moore shows us a side of Jesus that many would view as controversial and many religions strive to hide. He shows us the Jesus who has doubts and expresses them, but accepts his fate for the greater good of the world. Moore takes a look at the sexual side of Jesus. He doesn't debate whether Jesus was celibate, had a sexual relationship with Mary Magdalen, if he was married and had children. That is something the history does not tell us one way or the other. Moore simply discusses the passionate side and how it relates to the teachings of Jesus. There is a sensuality to the Gospels that can not be denied, although it often is in traditional religious views.

Writing in the Sand has many profound insights. It is an addictive read that compels you to stop and think of the implications in your own life, in your own actions and views, before spurring you on to the next page. And yet, one is riveted by this author's point of view and finds it hard to set it down. For more on Moore and his writing visit his blog (click on the title of this review for the link) or his website http://careofthesoul.net