The Reflective Life.

Book Review.

Gire, Ken. The Reflective Life. Becoming more spiritually sensitive to the everyday moments of life. Chariot Victor Publishing. 1998.

Comment. Henry
The subtitle of the book is a very accurate statement of where Ken is going with this resource. I think it would qualify as a ‘tool’ for knowing how the Lord speaks to us regarding our relationship with Him. It is well written and well illustrated (word pictures).

Our life and our communion with God are a very sacred thing. We must see sacredness in every part of our life (lives). (Abraham Herschel is one of Ken’s favorite authors.)

The words we hear and read are like seeds in our lives. Don’t let the seeds perish. “The space we give words- allows them a place to live in our hearts.” (43) God in His wisdom calls us “out of the everyday moments of life”. (45)

We are responsible for the soil into which the seeds fall. It is made rich through humility and surrender. It is made hard and unresponsive through pride. Seeds will not germinate without moisture, ‘the water of the Holy Spirit’. Ungerminated words will impact the mind with knowledge but with proper germination the heart will be impacted for life. Faith must have a horizontal orientation not just a vertical orientation.

A very basic question we need to ask ourselves regarding our ‘life influence’ is: “Have I loved well?” (86) A reflective life is built around three key habits: “reading the moment, reflecting on the moment, and responding to the moment”. (88) see Psalm 1. These habits are the thesis of this book.

The discussion of these habits as they relate to “the Scriptures, other people and the arts”, (108) take up several chapters in the book. Stories are told about how theses habits are practiced in real life. The reflective life produces a harvest of fruit, i.e. the fruit of the Spirit.

My concept of a reflective life seemed to be associated quite strongly with some level of solitude or even a form of monasticism. This author has given me evidence to adjust that concept significantly.