Book Review: ‘The Sacred Echo’ by Margaret Feinberg
Margaret Feinberg begins her new book on prayer, “The Sacred Echo,” with a mini-science lesson on bats. Bats have an ability known as echolocation, meaning they send out an ultra-sonic sound and use the echo to safely travel through the dark. They can even use echolocation to differentiate between what is good, such as a tasty insect, and what might be harmful, such as a rock thrown across its path. After this explanation of echolocation, Feinberg writes that in regards to her relationship with God, sometimes she feels like a bat with broken sonar. In other words, there is much about prayer that still remains a mystery.
She states that in her experience, when God really wants to get her attention He doesn’t just say it once, but repeats that same message, as an echo, through a sermon or a friend’s phone call or an e-mail, until she finally begins to wonder whether God is trying to say something.
Using stories from her own life and those of people she knows, Feinberg shows how God uses these repetitive occurrences to get our attention, to draw us closer, to get us conversing more with Him, and to help us grow. She writes, “God’s desire for transformation is one of the foundational reasons for the sacred echo.”
“The Sacred Echo” is an easy read. Feinberg writes with a whimsical, light-hearted style as she likens her husband’s pursuit of her when they were dating and his romantic – although adventuresome – marriage proposal to God’s pursuit of His Bride. She talks about trying to focus during her morning prayer time, only to find herself counting the folds in the living room window shade. She explains that for her it is easier to begin her prayer time with getting everything off of her chest with God and then sitting still to listen and encourages readers to find what method of prayer works best for them.
Beyond whimsy, “The Sacred Echo” is a compelling read, as Feinberg shares stories that stretch our faith, where the Scripture that God works all things for good takes on a different meaning. Like her interview with Steve Saint, whose missionary father – along with Jim Eliot and three other missionaries – were killed by the Aucas tribe in Ecuador. Instead of hating these people, Steve’s family and Elliot’s family moved back to live among the very people who had killed their loved ones; this act of forgiveness and love would eventually led many of the tribe to Christ. In their conversation, Steve Saint told Feinberg, “I’ve seen through things that seem tragic, God uses (them) for His own purposes.”
Whatever your prayer experience – either you are just learning about prayer, or you are a veteran prayer warrior – you should read “The Sacred Echo.” It will excite you, encourage you, and energize your conversational walk with God.
Mike and Paula K. Parker cover entertainment for LifeWay.com from their home in Middle Tennessee. Visit them online at www.wordcrafts.net.
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