Book Review - The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls

"The Narrow Path: The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls" book cover

Donuts and Doctrine Book Club Update

It was exactly thirty days ago. I received a text about a suggestion for the next book for our totally unofficial "Donuts and Doctrine Book Club." Luckily, I was caught right in between books. Well, that is stretching it a bit. I always seem to be reading 5-10 books at a time since I seem to get bored reading the same thing too many days in a row. But I had just finished a couple of books, so the timing was perfect.

If you are interested, here is the last book we read and discussed, along with a little background on how this started.

The suggested book was "The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls" by Rich Villodas.

First, a Little Background on the Author

Rich Villodas is a well-known Christian pastor, author, and speaker primarily recognized for his work in spiritual formation, racial reconciliation, and contemplative spirituality. He is the lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large, multi-ethnic church in Queens, New York City. Villodas, of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, has been deeply influenced by his multicultural background, which has shaped much of his ministry and writing.

His most notable book, The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus, has gained significant attention for exploring how to integrate deep spirituality with everyday life. The book focuses on five fundamental values: contemplative rhythms, racial reconciliation, interior examination, sexual wholeness, and missional presence. Villodas emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded spiritual life beyond traditional religious practices, including emotional health and social justice.

Rich Villodas is also known for his engaging and accessible style, often blending personal stories with theological insights. He speaks regularly at conferences, churches, and various events, focusing on spiritual formation, leadership, and the intersection of faith and culture. His work is highly regarded in evangelical and broader Christian circles for its depth and practicality.

As I mentioned in the previous post, my friend and I are both Christians and very active in our work and our congregations. We come from different faith traditions, so it is nice to talk to someone who you know is 95% right with you, but there is enough difference to make it worth the discussion and exploration.

I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we have many books, research, articles, and things to study. Maybe it is due to so much material I have access to or maybe because our culture was a little more insular in the past, but I'm not as familiar with some very well-known authors as I might be. Rich seems to be one of those. I enjoyed reading this book and getting a feel for his background.

My Very Short Review:

I liked this one, but I will say I did not LOVE it. That may sound too simplistic and like a junior high school love note, so let me explain. I keep the bar on my 5-star love very high. To say "I loved it" means I want to read it repeatedly. I will reference this book many times, but I am not sure I will read it fully again. But I will say, after reviewing my notes and inputting some more permanent insights, writings, and things I cross-reference into my system, I would give it a clear 4 out of 5 donuts. I had many more insights about my faith, how to know if I'm on the "Narrow Path," and a much deeper understanding of the Sermon on the Mount than I expected.

That is the part I loved the most about this book. Rich Villodas's time on the Sermon on the Mount really got me thinking much deeper about a few topics and not only what Jesus really meant, but it also helped me think of ways to apply those teachings in my life better. This is what the author calls "walking the path."

Part one of the book covers "Understanding the Narrow Path," and part two discusses "Walking the Narrow Path."

"The narrow way of Jesus gets to the core of what it means to be human, what it means to love well. It focuses our energy on what truly leads to the good life: a spacious kind of existence that makes room for God and others."

The author reminds us that the Lord tells us there are only two paths - one that is narrow and one that is broad. I loved that he raised the question that we probably all have but may not say out loud. I know I have wanted to ask, "Really, Jesus? Only two?" The comedy or sarcasm of this question brought me some good insights. Sarcasm usually does that for me. As I thought and read, I reminded myself that Jesus knows what he is doing and that I should trust that He wants me to become like Him and not simply complete a few tasks. The goal is to be a new person, become perfect through him, and change my heart. There is only one path to do this - the narrow choice - all other paths are part of the big, broad one. There is no reason to differentiate all the nuances of the different paths if they lead you away from who the Lord wants you to become.

The Sermon on the Mount

Jesus begins his sermon on the Mount not with a list of to-dos or laws but with who is blessed. He is telling us not to seek blessings per se but to seek to become more like him or to change who we are. We are blessed and will have all the help we need as we strive to become something rather than as we seek a reward.

The dominant culture will always pull us away from Christ. Those in the world who are strong, outgoing, beautiful, rich, powerful, and dominant over others are the ones who are usually seen as role models. Those humble, meek, seeking to love and uplift others and who put service ahead of riches usually do not become worldly cultural standards or icons. That does not mean that all of those qualities are always evil or wrong, but Jesus tells us those are not the qualities that will bring us eternal joy and life. He is showing us that those who are blessed are not regarded by the world the way our Father in Heaven regards them.

"Notice that rather than having a list of to-dos, he begins his sermon by letting us know who is blessed. By starting there, he clarifies that those in his kingdom don’t work for blessing but from blessing."

This section, for me, was the meatiest in terms of thought-provoking topics and questions raised. His discussion about "raca", or what it means to live in a world of "mammon," or about dealing with lust, I thought was very insightful.

In Matthew 6—the center of the Sermon on the Mount—Jesus flips showy spirituality on its head: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen…. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (verses 1, 3).

Now I wait

My good friend has not read this recommendation he gave me yet. It seems he is wrapped up in some fantasy book. So now I wait to see what he thinks of this one.

While I see some concepts and minor doctrines differently than the author, none of that matters. The thoughts and inspirations I received reading this were well worth the time. If you have not read this, give it a look. If you read it or have already, let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear them.