Seven-Mile Miracle

Megachurch pastor Furtick (Sun Stand Still), who established Elevation Church in Charlotte, N.C., addresses the seven things Jesus said on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”; “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”; “Woman, here is your son.... Here is your mother”; “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”; “I am thirsty”; “It is finished”; and “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Furtick asserts that each statement is a marker on a map plotting out a seven-mile journey to knowing God, and compares the trek to the walk along the road to Emmaus after Jesus’s death. At times Furtick offers astonishing insight about how passages of the Bible link together. For instance, the story of Joseph’s interpretation of the cupbearer and baker’s dreams in Genesis has a striking similarity to the two thieves on either side of Christ on the cross. Other passages are overly simplistic, giving lip service to the fact that the road to following Christ isn’t easy, but leaving the reader with little sense of what that means. This quick read only scratches the surface of the Christian walk but will be a fine introduction for readers seeking a path of greater spiritual depth. (Feb.)