Michael Krahn : The Ascent to Truth

Upsidedn (read: upside-down) is a book about community, honesty, humility, and authenticity. Considering the relative brevity of the book, author Tim Bailey manages to go deep with these ideas. He describes the book as “not a self-help book,” unless it “helps you fail miserably at being selfish.”

Throughout the book Bailey speaks in the voice of a caring and compassionate – and passionate – Pastor. But his is also the voice of a normal believer excited about the counter-cultural nature of the life of Jesus and the seemingly odd, upside-down promptings of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. This upside-down thinking is the theme of the book. “The upside-down kingdom where Jesus is Lord,” he says, “demands that we view others as better than ourselves…  This is a total rearrangement of the social system of the world.”

Bailey leads his readers to the truths he’s discovered with the excitement of a gold-digger who has stumbled upon a vast vein of new treasure. The difference here is that rather than hide and horde the wealth, he seeks to share with anyone who will come and take some of it, knowing that the source of this treasure is limitless.

The style of writing is at once reminiscent of Donald Miller, Rob Bell, and (in an odd twist of combination) John Piper. It’s a combination that somehow works and his balance of certainty, doubt, faith, and a love for mystery is refreshing. But above all, the tone of the book is an urgent compassion. He WANTS you to see what he’s seen and to taste what he’s tasted in Christ.

Like so much of the writing by Christians of this (my) generation, there is an undercurrent of pleading with people to take another look at Christian faith. Bailey doesn’t go as far as Donald Miller did in Blue Like Jazz (where Miller set up a confession booth to confess FOR the sins of Christians rather than accept confessions from sinners), but the same appropriate apologetic tone is there.

“There is a disturbing trend in the evangelical world,” he says, “of people who are more interested in feeling good about being right, rather than perpetually seeking truth. Their goal is to find conclusions to every question and answers for every confusion, rather than live in the mystery of NOT being God.”

We (Donald, Tim, and I) want you to know, dear readers, that not all Christians are ready grab, judge, and slap you into the kingdom. Authenticity, by Bailey’s definition is, “revealing the ‘you’ that God knows – mess and all… [it] isn’t avoiding hypocrisy – it is admitting it.”

Although there is not a weak chapter in the book, the chapter on worship stands above the rest. God is the center of our worship and, “the idea that we are the center of what is happening in creation has seriously warped our understanding of worship.” He continues, “Maybe we should be more interested in how God is experiencing His creation rather than being consumed by whether we are experiencing Him to our satisfaction.”

Due to its rather short length and the inclusion of discussion questions at the end of each chapter, the book is ideal for small groups and new believer discipleship. However, the content and presentation is compelling enough that the book would have been a joy to read at twice the length. Here’s hoping Bailey expands the content in subsequent printings.

You can order the book here or, if you’re local, drop in on the congregation that Bailey pastors in London, Ontario.

Michael Krahn (michael.krahn@gmail.com) is a husband, father, Pastor, writer, and recording artist who enjoys books, theology, technology and the Ottawa Senators.
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