Skip to main content

Flashbang


Flashbang. Allow Mark Steele to provide the definition;

There is a weapon used by our nation's police force and military that is, in fact, not a weapon.... One that sounds off a resounding concussion [and] emanates a stunning bright light that is not actual fire... An explosion but not an explosion. A distraction with no destruction. A big noise and a lot of flash that leaves no lasting mark.
It is called the flashbang. (Flashbang, pg.xvi)

I first read this book in 2010. Why I've never officially reviewed it here is a mystery, because it is one of my favorite books. Mark Steele is a comic and runs Steelehouse Productions, doing all sorts of creative and artistic things.

Mark has written other books, which I have reviewed, but I return to this book from time to time for a few reasons. First, it's a hilarious read. Mark writes in a style where one feels like you might be having a conversation with him right in the room. He openly admits to adding details to stories for the sake of entertainment, without leaving out the truth of the matter.

Secondly, Mark writes here about topics that I need to hear about. Getting over oneself and living for maximum impact for the sake of Jesus. These are things I should never forget, a theme Mark returns to in this book frequently.

Filled with stories, this book will not keep you from the large stack of other books you may be feeling the need to get to. The dog-eared pages of the copy I own have many underlined passages, reminders of things I should be working on, stories that have helped me see truth in a new way.

Make no mistake about it, this book is not merely for entertainment, although it accomplishes that. Mark writes with an unrelenting purpose that people get over themselves for the sake of living with another purpose. God. But not just God as an idea or a concept. God as a person to chase after, at the cost of leaving ourselves behind. The bottom line can be summed in one more quote I will leave you with, found near the end of this book.

The staggering truth was that God loved me raw though I only chose to come to Him refined. (pg.234)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Facebook Maybe

Granted, I'm a pastor. I have Type-A tendencies. Ok, my tendencies border on freakish OCD behavior patterns, but... Few things bother me more than the Facebook 'maybe'. I suppose I could go on and on about the grey areas of our society and the refusal of people to accept absolute standards. I could discuss the great need of people to accept that what is wrong for one person is likely wrong for everyone. I should certainly be concerned about mentioning that someone might have sin in their life. But I don't believe the Facebook 'maybe' is quite sin. Perhaps if I were coming up with new sins, I would add this to the list. But alas... Some might think the Facebook 'maybe' did not exist prior to the Internet, but they would be wrong. When I was in high school and asked a girl out on a date, I would normally be told that if they had no other plans, if nobody else called them, if there was nothing good on television and their hair did not need washing, then per...
5 comments
Read more

Accountable

I recently officiated a wedding. The ceremony was simple, lovely, and ended with another couple professing to keep the covenant of marriage. But it all started with a clarification...from me. At our first premarital counseling session, as I have done with every couple I have agreed to marry, I clarified a couple of matters. First, I officiate Christian weddings, where both spouses-to-be are professing Christians. I firmly believe that marriage is difficult enough, without adding disagreements about God into the mix. Second, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I believe the pastor’s role in a wedding is to represent the blessing of God on that union. So we have several sessions of premarital counseling where we discuss married life. It’s not that I have this imaginary card in my head, with a picture of me on the front and my stats on the back. (You know, like a baseball card.) Ok, I do picture cards. Pastor cards! And being a competitive guy, I want my stats to look good. The number of coupl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mom

I will travel this weekend to Georgia to celebrate the life of my mom, who passed away just before Christmas.  A Celebration of Life service. That’s what we’re calling it. Because that’s what my mom wanted. She was quite clear on this matter. She didn’t want a funeral. She didn’t want people mourning for her.  As a Christian, she was very certain on her eternal destination and she wanted everything, in her life and death, to reflect that. There will be music, people sharing tributes, and a message given by her pastor.  If that sounds similar to a funeral, I agree. But semantics aside, let me share with you a few more things about my mom. Along the way, you might learn a few things about why I function the way that I do. As I’ve considered my mom’s legacy, a few words have come to mind. Steadfast My mom knew what she believed, lived what she knew to be true, and didn’t really care what anyone else thought about it. I have no inclination to remember my mom as some perfect p...
2 comments
Read more