The Long Walk Home by Matt Carter

Carter, Matt. A Long Walk Home: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father.  Nashville, Tenn: B&H, 2019.  

Matt Carter has written a good book. It's not earth-shattering. It's not poetic. It's not mind-blowing. It's not fadish or trendy or bound in 2019. It's just a good book. But there's something refreshing about this good book among the many other popular-level offerings this year.  

It's easy to recommend this good book to a friend, regardless of where he or she might be on the Christian journey. It's easy to talk about The Long Walk Home by Matt Carter because it's a good book. Carter has written a good book; it's just that simple.  

In this book, Carter set out to answer the question, "If I go all-in following God, am I missing out on the best life has to offer?" Actually, he set out to answer many raw, honest questions, but this one is at the heart of them all. If the answer to this question is unsettled, it doesn't matter what comes of the other questions. "Does God really love me despite my failures?" Even if God does, what will it matter if I think I'm missing out on the best life has to offer? "Do my doubts and questions about faith make God think less of me?" Who cares if God thinks highly of me when I think I'm missing out on the best parts of life? "Do I have a future in the family of God despite my past?" Do I even want to be in the family of God if it means I think I'll miss out on something better?  
The most honest question lingering in the back of the mind is Carter's first question, and he does an outstanding job tackling this question. To get at the heart of this inquiry, Carter walks his readers through the story of the Prodigal Son. It's a famous parable told by Jesus, and it becomes the framework for the book.     

There were some other insightful and fascinating moments in the book. One I found the most thought-provoking (and could be an entirely separate book) was Carter's discussion on loneliness and the impact of social media. I have shared his thoughts on this with many people since reading the book. He hits the nail on the head and then deals with the problem. But it's not a new problem. The prodigal son had the same problem.  

If this book had any shortcomings, they are found it two places. First, the cover seemed to roll back too easily. I'm not one to be rough on my books, but the paper seemed to want to curl open naturally. This problem may seem minor, but those who don't like having their books stay open when laying flat on a table understand my issue. The second issue is also trivial and didn't give me any problem, but it might be worth mentioning. Carter is Generation X. Most of his personal stories and illustrations were well suited for Generation X readers. Some unimaginative readers may struggle to relate. For example, Carter shares stories about a time before social media. For most, this shouldn't be an issue, but it does cause the work to be more timely rather than timeless. 

I found Matt Carter's book so helpful that I'm planning on using it for a men's book club and study. I may also use his forthcoming study materials.  

Purchase The Long Walk Home by Matt Carter wherever you buy your favorite books.