BOOK REVIEW: Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson begins Wild Goose Chase by explaining that the Celtic Christians would refer to the Holy Spirit as An Geadh-Glas, “the Wild Goose.”  But this isn’t really a book about what the Holy Spirit is like.  If you’re looking for a doctrinal treatise on the person and nature of the Spirit, look elsewhere.  If you want a book about the adventure of recklessly following an unpredictable God wherever He leads, then this is the book for you.

Batterson’s main point is that we are all wired for adventure; that we were born to “chase the Wild Goose.”  Somewhere along the way we became tamed and caged.  He outlines the six cages that keep us from the spiritual adventure God has for us, as well as action steps to get un-caged.  The cages are responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, and fear.

I found this book to be very challenging.  Batterson’s points are well made, and he illustrates them regularly with personal anecdotes and historical accounts.  The biblical characters and stories that he uses to reinforce his ideas are presented in some fresh, interesting ways.  However, his biblical exposition is far from flawless.  I’ve now read all but one of Batterson’s books and he falls into familiar trap in this one: going a little too far for my comfort in reading into and applying some of the biblical accounts.  Most of it is sound, though.

I love the way Mark Batterson writes.  The pace is very brisk and yet the concepts are profound.  I found myself re-reading some paragraphs in order to mine all the meaning possible out of them.  In this particular work, Mark re-hashes some of the same ground as In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, but seems to put forward more practical ideas along with the impassioned call-to-action.

I recommend this book for anyone who feels stuck in a rut spiritually and longs for the passionate pursuit of God that they may see in others.  This book is the kick in the pants you need, so start reading and start chasing!

Please Note: This book was gifted as a part of the Blogging for Books Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work