An Easy but Challenging Read

I saw a book at our little public library on the "Recent Additions" shelf that caught my eye. I know we are not supposed to judge a book by its cover...but who are we kidding?! The cover is what catches my attention and beckons me to pick it up and read the back.

Anyway this cover caught my eye:

So I picked it up to read the back. It piqued my interest enough for me to check it out...and then promptly let it gather dust on my nightstand for six plus weeks. You know...between motherhood, a couple of jobs, and life, it is not always the easiest to fit in time for a book!!

Two renewals and 85 cents in fines later (a nickel a day...you do the math). On a side note...I have finally chosen to not feel guilty about fines on library books. I have decided to see it as my contribution to the library's ever-dwindling budget. If you are ever late returning library books, you should try out this attitude...it is liberating! Not that I purposefully keep books longer than we're supposed to, but on the occasions when we do forget to return them on time, this attitude is freeing. Anyway, two renewals and 85 cents later, I finally picked it up.

I must say I expected it to be a fairly dry read...what with it being non-fiction, and the fact that it has a sub-title. If you didn't know, books with subtitles tend to be more dry (yes...there I go again, judging a book by its cover). But once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down! It is an easy read, and every page had my mind reeling with new revelations about how the 'media' shapes the message within it.

Author Shane Hipps takes us back thousands of years and acts a tour guide through the history of 'media' and the interplay of media and faith. I don't want to give the whole book away, but 'media' is not just tv and internet. And while in some circles, especially faith circles, 'media' gets a bad, if not downright evil, wrap, Hipps helps us to see that 'media' is not necessarily bad. Our lack of awareness of how the media affects the message is what causes the trouble.

Throughout the book Hipps takes us through a journey that ultimately leads to the realization that the media is as important as the message. Hipps wraps up with a challenge for Jesus-followers that cannot be ignored. This read was so revealing that I promptly returned the book to the library (and paid my 85 cents...you're welcome library fund!) and went to amazon to buy a copy for myself that I can re-read, mark up and take notes in. Are you ready to see How Technology Shapes Your Faith?

Shared by Amy Bonzon (Enumclaw, WA)