Sanctuary
Where can we find rest and safety from social media? In Sanctuary, Denise J. Hughes delivers a plan for cultivating a quiet heart in a noisy and demanding world.
Living a Quiet Life
The theme of “living a quiet life” echoes throughout this book. This refers to 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, and Hughes helps us see how it means to live with dependence on God. It is a life free from constant noise and hustle, and it is a life defined by purpose rather than ambition. Hughes gives a brief theology of technology, specifically focusing on how social media has become the place where we shape our identities. She calls us back to the sanctuary of God’s presence, where we can rest in being a new creation and having our new identity in Christ.
Hughes stays extremely relatable throughout the book. She speaks of being emotionally drained and spiritually empty. She speaks of her tendency towards overcommitment. She speaks of venting in a group text and different sins that can take place in our technological world. Hughes covers a lot of ground, helping us have more discernment with our social media habits.
Evaluating Ambitions and Championing Community
I appreciated the way Hughes goes after our hearts. For example, she speaks of holy ambitions versus unholy ambitions and gives us five ways to discern them: (1) Do you have relationships with people who cannot benefit you in any way? (2) Do your ambitions or dreams take you away from your family to an inordinate degree? (3) How committed are you to honoring and observing the Sabbath? (4) Are your ambitions or dreams about making God’s name great or yours? (5) Will you be ok with God if your ambitions or dreams never come about in this lifetime? These hard-hitting questions are throughout the book, and help us see where we need help.
I was most interested to see how Hughes placed an importance on community. The physical, local, flesh and blood church is where real community takes place. She shows how it is only possible to commune in real space and time, and we come together as broken people. The church is where we can be ourselves in our brokenness and find strength and healing together with God. Hughes calls us to embrace the habit of gathering regularly with God’s people.
Freedom from the Noise
This book would be a great read for young adults who feel the weight of the social media world, or for older saints who feel distracted and distraught with their social media habits. The book ends by saying that the Christian can be free of the noise of social media, saying that we can find all of the encouragement and help we need from the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. This was refreshing to me, and reminded me that Christ does not need the tools of social media for the sanctification of our souls. We can put our phones and social media apps away. He has given us everything we need.
I received a media copy of Sanctuary and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.