The Sacred Romance

The Sacred Romance, by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge

I read this book years ago, and loved it, so I thought I would read it again. Unfortunately, I was disappointed the second time around. I think perhaps it is the type of book that requires the reader to be in a certain path of life in order to be able to identify with it.

The book explains that many people have a certain longing to be a part of a bigger story, a grand adventure. Its why kids like to play Cowboys-and-Indians, or Cops-and-Robbers, or any type of imaginative game that looks like it might be an action movie some day. In the book, the authors discuss how we are meant for that grand adventure and that it is actually a romance-adventure, in that God is trying so hard to romance our hearts, but we don't see it because we are not living in that bigger picture. They talk about Arrows, which are like messages we receive from our life experiences that convince us that there is no bigger adventure story, that this is all it is, and you are on your own. To cover our disappointment, we turn to something the authors call "Less Wild Lovers" which is basically anything that distracts you from a deep relationship with God, including church activities (yes, they can distract you if they keep you busy enough that you don't focus on God anymore). Eventually, we have buried the longing for adventure under excuses, like "I'm too busy" or "That's a childish thought."

I didn't feel that the authors actually explained how to get back into the adventure story we all dream of, and I didn't really feel that I have been dreaming of an adventure story. My life is about as exciting as I really need it to be right now, and I'm happy with the smaller picture. I don't know if this means that I have an Arrow I'm not seeing convincing me that I don't need a bigger story, or if this just means the book does not apply to me. Another interesting thing, is that I finished the book in a few days the first time I read it, and was captivated by every word, however, this time around, it took me months, and I felt that the writing was so dry and boring.

Overall, since I had two completely opposite experiences, I would suggest that anyone interested in the topic of the book should read at least one chapter, and make an informed decision based on what I have said, and your gut feeling about whether the first chapter was a waste of time, or a must-read.