We are currently on the search to buy a house. This book couldn’t have arrived at a better time!
Thank you Intervarsity Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Synopsis: Suburban life—including tract homes, strip malls, commuter culture—shapes our desires. More than half of Americans live in the suburbs. Ashley Hales writes that for many Christians, however: “The suburbs are ignored (‘Your place doesn’t matter, we’re all going to heaven anyway’), denigrated and demeaned (‘You’re selfish if you live in a suburb; you only care about your own safety and advancement’), or seen as a cop-out from a faithful Christian life (‘If you really loved God, you’d move to Africa or work in an impoverished area’). In everything from books to Hollywood jokes, the suburbs aren’t supposed to be good for our souls.” What does it look like to live a full Christian life in the suburbs? Suburbs reflect our good, God-given desire for a place to call home. And suburbs also reflect our own brokenness. This book is an invitation to look deeply into your soul as a suburbanite and discover what it means to live holy there.
I spend way too much of my time looking for the perfect house – is the kitchen updated? Are the bedrooms the right size? I get caught in the materialistic spiral of our daily lifestyle and completely become blind to the more important things in a home. Being with family and friends, loving on them, showing kindness and hospitality, making sure others and myself know that we are valued no matter where we end up – those are the kinds of things that are important. Forget about finding how close Target is to my future house, I want to focus on the excitement of hosting board game nights with new friends! I have this book to thank for putting this crazy time in my life into perspective. Whether you are looking for a house or live in the suburbs now, this book is for you.
5/5 Stars
Live, Read, And Prosper 