Nelson Books, 2006, 287 pp., $19.99,
www.thomasnelson.com
Erwin McManus’s Soul Cravings puts words to the “longings” that we often feel but cannot define. Having names for them — like intimacy, destiny and meaning — almost make the cravings more acute. It’s one thing to know you’re hungry. It’s entirely different to know exactly what you are craving.
Very simply, we crave the intimacy that comes with love and community. We need the vision and dreams that come with a sense of destiny. And we long to live with purpose and meaning for our lives. McManus explores these cravings, while at the same time using their presence as a proof for God’s existence. Clear and vulnerable, McManus weaves together song lyrics, movies, personal stories and Scripture as he pulls the reader toward a greater understanding of the soul’s God-given design.
This book is soul-provoking — and needed — for today’s generation of young people who often look to culture to fill their own cravings. While not shunning the world, McManus cuts through the clutter to the messy core — we need things that only God can provide. Yet, he never really shoves that at you, it’s just something your soul nods in agreement once you finish the book.
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Matthew Monberg, freelance writer, Denver, Colorado.
