I read Mark Batterson’s Primal while at CIY Wilderness last week. All I can say is “Wow!”

Primal was a very interesting read. The concept is simple: The Great Commandment tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. But how do we do that? What does that look like?

Batterson describes those four areas as developing a heart of compassion, a soul filled with wonder, a curious mind, and energetic strength.

Each of these four areas has a section of the book dedicated to its discussion. And it’s a very interesting discussion indeed. Batterson sheds light on each of these four areas in manners and ways I’ve never thought of before.

For example, he starts the discussion of heart with the little known medical fact that heart transplant recipients often experience new cravings and feelings. This is called cellular memory, and is commonplace in the field of cardiology, as well as other fields.

Interesting idea. We have been given a new heart. Our heart has been replaced with the heart of Christ. Should we not start loving our world and the people in it the same way that Christ does?

Batterson makes you think. And he does this in all four sections.

Primal is definitely worth reading.