Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson is by far one of the best books I've read. I've followed Mark's blog for several years and this past summer I had the privilege of meeting Mark and spending some time getting to know him. He's the real deal. His passion for Christ, his family, as a dad and as a pastor is evident in everything he says and writes.
Primal is loaded with historical facts, scientific studies, research, and personal stories. Some of Mark's stories will make you laugh out loud. Which can be a little embarrassing if you're reading in the middle of a crowded Starbucks. Others will make you cry. But all of them are told with creativity and purpose.
The premise of the book is the Great Commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all you strength. Mark asks the question "What if every believer lived out this verse?" I have to admit, when I heard that question, I thought this was going to be an easy read for me. After all I've been to seminary. I have a Masters Degree in church. I've served in full-time ministry for over 15 years and have been a Lead Pastor for almost six years. And recently I even travelled to a third-world country as part of a team to begin leading our church to take on a giant problem; children orphaned by AIDS in Africa.
By chapter three I knew that this was not going to be an "easy read." In each chapter I found myself challenged more and more as I began to rethink the calling of the Great Commandment and how I had been trying to live it out. Mark has a way of taking the religious concepts that the church has complicated through the years and boil them down to their simple, yet profound truths.
This book is hard hitting and in your face. Primal is a must read for any one who wants to be challenged to become a part of something that is bigger than they are. It's for anyone who wants to become great at the Great Commission.
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