Why does a warrior train the way he
does? Most of you probably would suggest
that it has something to do with fighting and winning a war, but what if there
really is another answer? Erwin Raphael McManus thinks there might be, and he
explains why in his upcoming book The Way
of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace (Waterbrook, scheduled
release date in late February 2019)
And so
Mcmanus explains the ‘Code of the Warrior’, with its multiple subsets. In the introduction
he says that he was driving in Los Angeles one day when he heard something: “The warrior is not ready for battle until
they have come to know peace. This is the way of the warrior.” And from that voice, a book was born. The author
bio states that McManus is known for his integration of creativity and
spirituality, and that combination is certainly evident throughout this book. HE starts by refuting the argument that the God
of the Bible is a God of War. Our God is
a God of peace, it’s humanity who brought war into our story, and, McManus
continues, ‘Since then, God has been fighting for us to find our way back to
peace. “
The ‘Code”
consists of 8 chapters which, titled with action words, describe a warrior, and
his quest for peace. Interestingly
enough, there are many ways to define or describe peace, and these 8 chapters
apply to the quest for any one of them. Although the majority of the references
listed are biblical in nature, McManus tends to use a lot of his own personal
experiences as examples. Using the Bible, personal experiences, and the
occasional favorite movie, the author is able to paint a picture of how a
warrior’s training for battle, equips him to seek, and find peace. Humility and
service figure into the equation, along with strength, perseverance, and truth.
What a
treat to discover, through the pages of this book, that when I’m fighting to
win a battle, that I’m fighting the wrong fight, or perhaps a right fight for
the wrong reasons. Instead my battles
should be geared toward finding my way back to the peace that God wants me to
experience.
I
received a unedited proof of this book as a part of the publisher’s launch
team. Quick disclaimer, Erwin Raphael McManus is one of my favorite authors,
and he doesn’t disappoint with this book.
5/5
