Out of curiosity I finally mustered all the patience that was required and finished this ‘new age classic’. I was a bit surprised at myself when I eventually turned to the final page after three weeks. I remember picking up this book several times in book stores over the past ten years, and could not go further than a few pages every time. It was not so much as being presumptuous and pretentious to speak from the mouth of God, nor that I was associated with fundamental Christian church at the time, as my lack of confidence that a new age guru could provide any insight regarding spiritual matters.
I was therefore pleasantly surprised at the story telling skills of Neale Donald Walsch. His writings are eloquent and arguments ‘logical’ at times. He is able to jell some of the major thoughts in the bible, stories we heard in Sunday school and common concerns of Christians (esp. Christians in the US) together into his own theology. I have to say his linkage of soul-mind-body and thought-word-action into Spirit-God-Son has its moment of brilliance (thought it is not entirely original).
Unfortunately that doesn’t mean this book provide any real spiritual insights. If anything, it contains a cocktail of truths, half-truths and quarter-truths, combined with wisdom and belief from Oriental religions, mixed with US style self-empowerment teachings, and finally served with a little chicken soup too. It is especially tailor-made for those readers who have some bible knowledge and are concerned about discrepancies in its teachings with struggles in real life. Basically Neale Donald Walsch tells them what they want to hear. It’s all about you, and nobody else, claims the book. You can become God yourself (actually I find this acceptable but am repelled by the self-centered God-becoming process described in the book.) You want to be spiritual and secular at the same time? No problem. Making lots of money yet serving the others in a single mission? Of course there is no conflict. If you want a successful relationship, just focus on yourself, not your partner. You can also enjoy many lives through reincarnation, or have sex with as many partners as you like just for the fun of it. No worry, no guilt, no pain. Everything in life is good. Just “be Who You Really Are.”
The single biggest thing I don’t like about this book is its total focus on oneself. It probably suits those self-centered Gen-Y’ers. It influenced those me-me-me gospels spread by popular culture like Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” which says the “greatest love of all is to love yourself” (The book says “If you cannot love your Self, you cannot love another.” Note the capital ‘S’.) I instead will choose to believe in the traditional interpretation of self sacrifice, loving one another, and loving thy neighbors as the highest expression of love.
If there is a God who tells me salvation can be achieved through some self-serving means and continuing to lead the same life as I am, I’d probably turn to other Gods or no God at all. If I can become God myself, why do I need a God at all?
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