Thursday, June 11, 2015

Review # 293: The Lamb's Agenda by Samuel Rodriguez

Description:


Is There a Divine Cure for Our Ailing Nation?

          In The Lamb’s Agenda Samuel Rodriguez offers a blueprint for Christian rejuvenation, a prophetic call to orient our lives at the nexus of the cross.

          Joining the Christianity of Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham, The Lamb’s Agenda reveals the crucial connection between biblical social justice and spiritual righteousness. Getting back to the basics of Christianity means extending our efforts simultaneously in the vertical direction of God and the horizontal direction of our neighbors.
In this critical moment, begrudging service and empty religiosity must be replaced by the vibrancy of the Lamb’s agenda, Christ’s plan of redemption in the world. A Third Great Awakening, says Rodriguez, awaits Christians who boldly and joyfully embrace both planks of the Savior’s cross: obedience to God and service to others (copied from book-jacket).

Review:

     The Lamb's Agenda by Samuel Rodriguez is indeed a call-to-action for all Christians who struggle with religion "versus" politics, comparing the donkey, the elephant, and the lamb, and trying to find a balance (if one exists) between them. The book begins with the description of a Christian utopia in which political agendas, prejudices and discriminators are lacking, where living as a good Christian man or woman is the norm; literally "peace on Earth". However, our current Christian society is so plagued by politics, that staying true to the faith and upholding Christian values has become second to political and monetary gains, allowing for unfounded prejudices and discriminators to be sustained. Mr. Rodriguez's book describes how the idea of a Christian utopia, although unrealistic in the current atmosphere, could be a starting point for stabilizing our horizontal connections to Christ, allowing for a more fulfilled life. He describes several aspects of everyday life that plague Christians, his viewpoints simple, but sometimes cliche; a few seeming like agendas of their own. I thought that the material was definitely relevant, but personally wish that some of the sections were more heartfelt and less rehearsed. I have heard Mr. Rodriguez speak before, so I was surprised that the book seemed to lack his visible personality and fervor, but speeches and the written word are two different things, I admit. If he had been speaking some of these sections aloud, I may have felt more connected to the material.  Fortunately, I did agree with some of his ideas and explanations, gaining a better understanding of my relationship with other Christians/non-Christians and with Christ. Overall, The Lamb's Agenda was an interesting and unique read that made me see being a "good Christian" in a different light.  


Rating: Bounty's Out (3/5)

*** I received this book from the author/ publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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