Home Behind the Sun {Review}

Home Behind the Sun by Timothy Willard and Jason Locy

Visit the book's main page HERE

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publishing Date: April 29, 2014

Goodreads Summary:

Timothy Willard and Jason Locy show readers how to discover the brilliance of God in the shadows of everyday life.

Life opens up before each of us, it beckons, it tempts, it thrills, it betrays. And what do we desire? All of it and none of it.

We’re not in this to survive, but to live. We want to experience joy in the everyday grind of work, relationships, and parenting. We want healing in our suffering. Forgiveness in the midst of our pains. Purpose through the journey. We want to break free from the temporal and live with an eternal perspective. We want to be brilliant.

In Home Behind The Sun coauthors Timothy Willard and Jason Locy invite you to step out of the shadows and into the brilliance. They want to introduce you to the God of the mysterious. A God who combats despair with joy, topples bitterness with forgiveness, and eliminates cynicism with belief and whimsy.

You're invited home. Home, behind the sun.

  I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Booklook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Buy the Kindle copy today for $12.99 (7/6/14).

My Thoughts:
Here I am again, reviewing another mind-blowing read. 2014 is THE year for awesome books apparently, and I am reading them all. 'Home Behind the Sun' is a book I saw rec'd by the lead singer of one of my favorite bands, Tenth Avenue North. I also wanted to bring my thoughts back to this brilliant read of 2013, to bring my focus back to beauty, and creativity, and living. 'Home Behind the Sun' easily met all this criteria.

Perhaps I can just start listing adjectives to explain this book: philosophical, deep, thought provoking, poetic....and best of all? Not stuffy. I think I could firmly label this book 'Christian hipster'. Authors Willard and Locy walk us through different areas of life and show us how we can find the brilliance of God in it all. We can peel back the shadows of life and SEE God moving, living, breathing. Their chapters address seeing others as God sees them, staying surrendered to God, glorifying God in all we do, and our imagination.

You may be thinking that living intentionally is just a hot topic right now and that you could read any other book on the topic. 'Home Behind the Sun' takes it so much further than just living intentionally, it isn't about finding time for God and slowing down, it is about being us and God being Him.

You and I know that ''we live in the shadowlands.'' But we know this only because we see brilliance pushing across the landscape. For where there is shadow, there is light, and where there is light, hope shines. (pg 175)

Willard and Locy draw us in with philosophical prose. They don't just tell us stories, they weave them, they paint us watercolor pictures of light and brilliance, wielding their pens like nothing short of an artist's tool. But they don't draw on their knowledge alone, they reference the words of philosophers, poets, authors, apostles, saints, and artists. Emerson, Yeats, Lewis, Picasso, Kierkegaard, and Thomas Edison. 'Home Behind the Sun' leaves me a treasure trail of references along the path to further reading on life, beauty, and brilliance. And I am actually entirely intrigued to continue reading about this topic.

It doesn't matter whether we are the storytellers, the gatekeepers to story distribution, or the consumers of stories. All of us should consider ourselves stewards of imagination. We should tell our own stories of hope, grace, forgiveness, and salvation while we champion people within the arts by encouraging them and distributing their work into the greater culture. (pg 145)

I had better stop myself there. It is pretty obvious that I really enjoyed this one. I should mention that the book includes a great discussion guide, so buying the physical copy may be worth your time. I would love to read it again with someone to discuss all of its topics further. 'Home Behind the Sun' is not just a gorgeous cover, it is a fascinating look at beauty and brilliance, throughout all the shadows of life. I would recommend this book to deep thinkers, fans of C.S. Lewis, poetic prose, or want to read about the beauty and brilliance of God. I am rating this one with 5 stars and time will tell if it makes my ''Lifechanger'' Book shelf!