The Catholic Book Blogger
It is likely that at some point in our lives we learned about the seven virtues: justice, temperance, prudence, fortitude, faith, hope and love. We may know of them but how well do we really KNOW them? There is a huge difference between simply knowing about something and living what we know. In his new book Deep Adventure: The Way of Heroic Virtue
“By choosing to live virtuously, by intentionally seeking to develop the seven virtues in our lives and hearts, we are choosing to immerse ourselves in God’s will. In this book, I will explore the seven virtues, demonstrating how they equip all of us to walk in the way of the hero and enable us to venture more deeply into the dynamic love of God.”
Bear fulfills this in a big way. He focuses on age old teachings about the virtues that date back to the Church Fathers and reintroduces them to modern men. He makes these teachings relevant to our modern culture and resurrects forgotten words like heroism and virtue. Two aspects of living that sadly have been lost in today’s world.
Men need to wake up and shun what society is telling them today. We are told to kick back and let others handle the issues in life. Modern men are portrayed on TV as bumbling idiots who simply can’t handle the pressures in life. We have allowed this to happen because we have accepted this storyline. It’s time to right that wrong and Bear’s book goes a long way in helping right the ship, if we read it and pray upon what the virtues hold for each of us.
Bear makes the virtues relevant to us today by coming at the virtues from the angle which he knows best….surfing, physical endurance and other topics that all men can relate to. Simply put, manly stuff! “Living a virtuous and spiritually rich life is like riding a big wave. You cannot move in the fullness of the virtues unless you reach for God’s power. You have to dedicate your heart, strength, and mind to the task……Do not linger on the shore. God’s adventure is waiting for you!” Wake up men. Let’s take back the mantle of manhood and return it to what it was meant to be. Life truly is an adventure but we need to live it not just stand and the sidelines and watch sit go by. We should take to heart the mission statement of Bear’s Deep Adventure Ministries: “The most radical thing that you can do in life is to abandon yourself to the wild adventure of God’s will.”
This is a book that needs to get into the hands of every Catholic man today. This not a flowery written book but a book that reveals ancient truths in a manner that men can relate to. Life is a deep adventure. The result of the adventure will end in one of two ways. Salvation and eternity with our Creator or….the other place. To ensue the endgame of the latter we need to lead lives of virtue. Bear closes the book in a way I simply can’t top so I’ll let him close this review as well; “As we travel on this journey of salvation, we are answering God’s call to enter into his wild and untamable love. By his grace, we walk the ancient path, smoothed by those who have gone before us. This is the path of adventure. This is the way of heroic virtue.”
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