One searcher’s honest and fascinating journey to encounter God, love others, and discover his true self through a year of spiritual practices.
Frustrated and disillusioned with his life as a Christian motivational speaker, Michael Yankoski was determined to stop merely talking about living a life of faith and start experiencing it. The result was a year dedicated to engaging in spiritual practices, both ancient and modern, in a life-altering process that continues to this day. Whether contemplating an apple for an hour before tasting it (attentiveness), eating on $2.00 a day (simplicity) or writing simple letters of thanks (gratitude), Michael discovered a whole new depth through the intentional life.
Stirred on by the guiding voice of Father Solomon, a local monk, Yankoski's life is slowly transformed. Both entertaining and heart-wrenching, Yankoski’s story will resonate with those who wish to deepen their own committed faith as well as those who are searching - perhaps for the first time - for their own authentic encounter with the Divine.
Christians who are passionate about helping others---but aren't sure where or how to focus their energy---will find much to love about Zealous Love. Authors Mike and Danae Yankoski have written just what Christians need to integrate compassion and justice into their lives.
'Our hope,' they write, 'is that God will work through this book ... to help direct your life so that you can act on tangible concern for neighbors in need, both globally and locally. That's the prayer knit into every sentence, every word, of Zealous Love.'
Zealous Love introduces eight of the world's most pressing challenges: hunger, unclean water, HIV/AIDS, creation degradation, lack of education, economic inequality, refugees, and human trafficking. But it does more than educate. It provides real, practical, do-able steps anyone can take to help make a difference.
Yankoski's parents were right: It was crazy to live as a homeless person in six American cities for five months; fortunately, this crazy idea makes for quite a story. Yankoski, a Christian college student, challenges the reader to learn about faith, identify with the poor and find 'more forgotten, ruined, beautiful people than we ever imagined existed, and more reason to hope in their redemption.' The journey begins at a Denver rescue mission and ends on a California beach. Along the way, Yankoski and a friend learn the perils of poor hygiene and the secrets of panhandling. They meet unfortunates like Andrew, who squanders his musical talent to feed his drug habit, and hustlers like Jake, who gives the pair tips about how to look and sound more pitiful to get more money. Yankoski tends to moralize: 'If we respond to others based on their outward appearance, haven't we entirely missed the point of the Gospel?' Still, the audio book features fine writing ('I awoke, rolled over and saw beads of sweat already forming on my arms. Saturday, early morning, Phoenix') and vivid stories, authentically revealing an underworld of need.
