The Book and its Topic
Flashbang by Mark Steele is a funny book. Mark is a comedian. But... he doesn’t think of himself as one. He prefers to think of himself as a comic. The subject of the laughter rather than the creator of the humor.
My wife likes jokes and likes to laugh. This caused me endless problems while reading Flashbang. See, there I would be reading and minding my own business when a funny part would come along. The result was spontaneous laughter, and then an explanation.
Everytime I laughed, I needed to explain what was so funny... This is no problem with most books where you laugh once or twice if at all, but with Flashbang I constantly had to share. It is really, hilariously funny!
Mark’s book deals with the Flashbang. Something that does not do much except cause a big noise and a bright light for a very short time. He says that he felt his impact as a Christian was much like that. Lots of noise, little impact. Real, lasting, positive impact.
He then goes on to explain (while you laugh) how to leave teethmarks on the world. Something messy, but visible. He shares how we can get back to loving the world in a way that leaves a crater. The impact that I referred to in the previous paragraph.
But wait... That is only the first two parts of the book (there’s six). The rest of the parts are entitled dumbshow, spittake, bloodletting and slaphappy. They deal with issues such as giving all you have for mission work, finding real happiness and just plain being yourself so that God can use you.
It is a worthwhile read if you dream of having a real impact in people’s lives. You will be challenged to go beyond that which is easy and neat, the formulas for being a good disciple, to that where you lose control and actually give a part of yourself.
If you are ready and brave enough, pick up a copy.
BookDisciple Power Quote
Mark has a few different styles of type going in Flashbang. There is the normal typeset where he is writing. Bold type “for important autobiographical information.” And a third typeset where Mark’s left brain is in conversation with his right brain. Here he alternates normal and italic type.
Then all of a sudden one of these conversations is between him and God! Just after this (when he is back to the left to right brain conversation) he wrote something really profound. Here goes...
“So, which is it?
Which is what?
Is this conversation between your left brain and right brain or between you and God?
You’re part of it. What do you think?
I think I’m confused.
That’s what the conversation is for – to stop the confusion.
But are you conversing with yourself or God?
A little of both I think. Whatever God chooses to use best.
So it’s all God then?
No. My own voice gets in there a lot and messes things up. But when I ask myself the tough questions and listen instead of immediately deliberating, the answers tend to come.
Do you listen much?
I know I did at least once.
How do you know it was God that once?
Because I absolutely did not want to do what He asked me to do, but I knew that I would do it. Somehow, I knew that I would.” – Flashbang, p. 186.
So, how does it read?
It reads remarkably easy. I think the main reason for this is the generous use of empty white space on the pages. You will feel like it’s a thick book when you pick it up, and at 245 pages of main-body copy, no one will blame you.
But it reads like a thin book. I would read for 15 minutes and discover that I covered 40 pages. That is strong progress in a short time!
Oh, and did I mention that it’s funny? It is truly hilarious! The last time I laughed so hard while reading was when I read Terry Pratchett as a child...
What did this book mean to me personally?
I have felt like a Flashbang plenty of times before. This book helped me see the reason for my ineffectiveness. Me. As simple as that.
I need to get over myself, so the story of how Mark got over himself was sure to help me. As always, the important thing would be to not act like those Pharisees in the gospels, but to actually implement what I read in my real, offline life!
What do others say about the book?
“Mark’s words will set people free, and free people change the world.” – Charlie Peacock, author of New Way to Be Human
Conclusion
We need to be honest with ourselves. We are all sometimes as ineffective as a Flashbang. We make a lot of noise, but don’t really change much.
This book is a very entertaining challenge to that mentality. You will enjoy reading this book, and hopefully in the process you will get the conviction to start making a real impact in the world by forgetting about yourself and letting God work through you.
Get over yourself. Read Flashbang!
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