My brief review of Trevin Wax’s newest book This is Our Time: Everyday Myths in Light of the Gospel
Our views of the future impact how we live today. While that may sound counterintuitive, it is profoundly true: we shape our lives based on where we think we’re headed as individuals and as a society. The only question is, do we actually know where we are headed or are we basing our lives upon lies?Trevin Wax’s new book This is Our Time: Everyday Myths in Light of the Gospel uncovers prevalent lies in western society, shows us the longings behind these lies, and shares how only the gospel of Jesus Christ can truly fulfill our deepest longings.
“We must be savvy enough to see how the gospel answers deeper longings and rejects humanity’s lies.” —Trevin Wax
In the first chapter, Wax explains the trajectory of the book:
“In the first half of the book, we will look at the habits that impact us day to day. We start close to home—the myths told to us by the smartphones we use and the stories we love. Then we turn to unspoken assumptions we make about why we’re on the earth and how we plot out the trajectory of our lives. In the second half of the book, we turn to larger myths that animate our society. What should our political involvement be? What are today’s myths about marriage and sexuality? How do we resist the idea that society is making amazing progress or in a season of unstoppable decline?”
This book is important for many reasons and could be the most eye-opening and life-changing book you read this year. Here are my three biggest takeaways from This is Our Time:
First, society’s myths are often so subtle and prevalent that we cannot detect them. If we can’t detect the myths leading us astray, we will allow our lives to be distorted by false narratives. It may be living for possessions (materialism) or not giving adequate weight to the sinfulness of humanity (the myth of progress). It may be finding satisfaction in life and approval from others based on “Likes” or “Retweets” or letting entertainment inform your thinking more than Scripture. Exposing the subtle lies of culture is crucial to being gospel-driven people.
Second, this book grew my appreciation for the gospel, which is the only thing that can satisfy the longings of our hearts. As Wax examined culture’s popular myths, he exposed broken cisterns that can’t satisfy (see Jeremiah 2:13). Jesus is the answer:
“The only way you will ever be able to withstand the hatred of the world is if you are immersed in the love of God. The only way you will ever be able to live without the approval of others is if you are assured of God’s approval of you in Christ. The only way you can stand against the world when everyone is jeering you is when you know God is there, cheering you on, calling you His beloved child. Unless we are overcome by the love of God, we will be overcome by the fear of man.”
Third, my compassion has deepened for those led astray by the world’s lies. The enemy of our souls is at work in the world and there are millions being deceived by lesser and temporary things that can’t hold a candle to the gospel. This is Our Time showed me the deep longings behind the common façades of culture—the impulses that drive people in a secular world. Seeing these empty longings is key for expressing gospel compassion instead of flesh-driven anger. In Christ, we have the only soul-satisfying solution for every human longing.
This is Our Time is a book for any Christian who wants to understand western culture more in light of the gospel. Wax’s strong storytelling abilities beautifully illustrate the longings of human hearts and the solution in the gospel. (I won’t soon forget the story of Wax’s father-in-law walking into a church as a communist informant and walking out a born-again believer.) Since, as Tim Keller says, “it is…impossible to understand a culture without discerning its idols,” this book also provides special value for pastors seeking to reach their culture. You can only preach to the heart when you know the yearnings of your people.
Author: Trevin Wax
Publisher: B&H
Year: 2017
Rating: 5 Stars
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