BOOK REVIEW

The Revolutionary Communicator:

Seven Principles Jesus Lived To Impact, Connect and Lead

Jedd Medefind and Erik Lokkesomoe
Relevant Books
www.relevantbooks.com

Reviewed by Ryan Richardson

"Avalanche is feeling none too thin, she starves herself to rid herself of sin,
And the kick is so divine, when she sees bones beneath her skin,
And she says, 'hey baby, can you bleed like me, come on baby, can you bleed like me?'

Chris is all dressed up acting coy, painted like a brand new Christmas toy,
He's trying to figure out if he's a girl or he's a boy,
And he says, 'hey baby, do you bleed like me?'"
-Bleed Like Me, Garbage

Shirley Manson seems to be listening these days.

Quite simply, The Revolutionary Communicator is a well-crafted book that points to Jesus' ability to listen attentively, and how we, as a society, have moved away from relating to people as Jesus does.

After traveling back from Gospel Music Week in Nashville, I am excited that I was able to have some meaningful and deep conversations amidst the business of the week. This was not always the case for me - many of us have either been trained or trained ourselves to leapfrog from conversation to conversation without hitting any substance.

Medefind and Lokkesmoe point to the way Jesus carried on a conversation, mostly by listening. This book is causing me to reevaluate how much I try to say when speaking with others as opposed to hearing what others have to say.

For example, they hit on profound truths such as:

"Three qualities in particular made Jesus ' communication authentic.

First, Jesus exhibited extraordinary vulnerability.
Second, Jesus spoke with a startling forthrightness.
Third, Jesus made Himself surprisingly accessible."

pp. 75-76

This is a good one to two day read - keep your highlighter handy. I find myself quoting from the book just days after finishing it.