The most wonderful thing about Gudbjorn Gunnars' book is that anyone who reads it will gain. The 26-Day spiritual reflection is designed to make those open to check it out, come away with more wholeness. The Icelandic author, a popular radio host, shares how he struggled from emptiness and self-condemnation toward acceptance. The subtitled, "Travel Guide to the Labyrinth of Existence," invites readers to do the same.
"My story doesn't begin well," he writes in the introduction, "but by the end of the book you'll see how beautifully it unfolded." At first glimpse, the book seems a memoir. That and more. Gunnars invites readers, "to pause, ask meaningful questions, and take one step — not toward perfection, but toward awareness."
The self-described alcoholic, who fought his way into a more complete life through addiction and shame, insists, "Life does not change when you do more – it changes when you meet yourself with respect." Nonetheless, he says the key is to act, and break the habit of measuring self-worth by productivity, performance, and other people's opinions.
There is a depth to the writing and the choice of information with its pages. It is clear that the author owes a lot to the practices of journaling and reflection. That leads to comments about the hardest aspect of Days of Transformation with the King of Kings - its structure.
The book is a text for workshop or meditation and reflection. Each chapter begins with a clear theme reinforced by four stories. For example, Day 17, "The Inner Judge: A Journey Toward Compassion and Self-Understanding," begins with quotes from Romans 8:1, Proverbs 11:17, and this first stanza of a poetic reflection:
There is a courtroom in the mind.
The gavel never rests.
The prosecutor remembers everything.
And the verdict is always the same:
You're not enough. Not yet
The chapter then includes four stories of Peter, Salome, Rhoda and Jeroboam, who came to a better grasp of themselves. The final reflection reminds readers, "In Christ, we are not defined by our flaws, but by our faith."
This is ideal for a spiritual retreat or group Lenten series. Gunnars gained enlightenment and enrichment from the Bible and honest reflection. Those who engage with this work are likely to find the same.