“Gawning at Tigers: You Can’t Tame God, So Stop Trying” is a book by Drew Dyck, managing editor of “Leadership Journal,” a publication of “Christianity Today.” I first heard of Mr. Dyck about a year ago when I started following him on Twitter. To my surprise, one day he tweeted to me, telling me about the release of his new book.
However, I resisted buying the book. I didn’t know much about the author and was a bit taken aback by the title. And he had recently instituted a self-imposed ban on the purchase of books. With so many unread books lying around the house, I decided not to buy any more until I made a dent in one of my piles. (That moratorium has since been lifted.)
But I was so impressed that Mr. Dyck tweeted to me, and I contacted our local library and applied to have them buy it. I thought that might take a while, so I quickly forgot about it.
Fast forward a year when I realized I never got on with the library. In response to my request, they bought two copies of “Yawning At Tigers.” Now I had no excuse not to read it. So I headed to the library and checked it out.
I am happy to have done it. My only regret is waiting so long to read this book.
Like me, you may have never heard of Drew Dyck or “Yawning At Tigers.” Perhaps the best way I can explain this book is to refer to a book you may be familiar with: CS Lewis’s classic children’s tale “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” a delightful fantasy that transports the reader to the Narnian land. where talking animals and magical powers abound.
The hero of Lewis’s book is a lion, not a tiger. His name is Aslan and symbolizes Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, Son of God and God the Son.
Before meeting Aslan for the first time, Susan (one of the book’s main characters) asks, “Is he… pretty sure? I’ll be pretty nervous about meeting a lion.”
Mr. Beaver replies, “Sure? Who said anything about sure? Of course he’s not sure. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Aslan is insecure and good. How can this be? This is the mystery of God’s character. This is what Drew Dyck calls “the great paradox of the Christian faith.”
And this is the premise of “Yawning Tigers”: God is holy and loving, “transcendent and immanent, other and intimate.” He is above and beyond, but present. Like Aslan, he is dangerous and terrifying, but merciful, kind, and compassionate.
Have I surprised you by describing God as dangerous, scary, and insecure? This is one aspect of God’s nature that we prefer to conveniently overlook, isn’t it? And such a reaction is common, even among believers. As CS Lewis wrote: “People who have not been to Narnia sometimes think that something cannot be good and terrible at the same time.” Conquering this false notion is the very reason Mr. Dyck wrote his book.
Although the Bible is clear regarding the paradoxical nature of God’s character, Mr. Dyck argues that evangelicals have opted for a “one-sided portrayal” of God. We love to focus on God’s love, but “seldom do we hear about the mystery and majesty of God, let alone whisper a word about his wrath.”
And then “something is missing” in the evangelical church. Our understanding of God has become unbalanced. Gone are the awe and awe, fear and trembling that you read about in the Scriptures when a believer meets the Holy One of Israel.
We are yawning at tigers (or lions). We do not tremble before God because we have tamed him.
This is a serious indication, isn’t it? Could Mr. Dyck be correct in his assessment of today’s evangelical church? I think he is. And for that I applaud him. He is to be commended for confronting us about our distorted view of God.
As I think back on my own experience in evangelicalism, I now realize that in the last 10 years I have only heard one sermon on hell. A. However, how many times did Jesus mention hell in his 3 year ministry? How often did the Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles speak of God’s wrath? Much more than us. Mr. Dyck has his finger on the pulse of Bible-believing churches.
I believe this book presents an accurate and much-needed critique of a serious problem. Therefore, I highly recommend “Yawning At Tigers” for these reasons:
1. Mr. Dyck’s accusation is supported by sound Biblical teaching. The author is a gifted Bible teacher, and he explains the character of God by going to Scripture first. He expounds passages like Exodus 32 and Isaiah 6 with great insight.
2. The author is a gifted storyteller. He will hear about his vacation in Hawaii and his short-term mission trip to Albania. And before you know it, he has taught you something wonderful about God. He uses personal experiences to tell 21st century parables that lead us to tremble in God’s presence or embrace him for his tenderness.
3. He is also widely read, freely quoting evangelicals like AW Tozer, John Piper, and RC Sproul. Mr. Dyck is not the only modern prophet to criticize the church for its twisted view of God. He is following in the footsteps of other great men of the Word.
4. Finally, I like this book because it presents the antidote to our overemphasis on God’s love. By devoting the first half of his book to the holiness of God and the second half to the goodness of God, the author has provided a wonderful example of a balanced treatment of God’s character. Shouldn’t the church be doing the same in our worship, preaching, and teaching?
Evangelicals would do well to heed the “Yawning at Tigers” warning and instruction. I pray that many will read this book and interact with its content. A Discussion Guide is included that is ideal for both individual and small group study.
“Yawning At Tigers” is available on Amazon.com and at your local Christian bookstore. And if you live in Allen County, Indiana, it’s available at the public library for free.
