“Yawning Tigers: You Can’t Tame God, So Stop Trying” is a book by Drew Dyck, editor-in-chief of “Leadership Journal,” a publication of “Christianity Today.” I first heard about Mr. Dyck about a year ago when I started following him on Twitter. To my surprise, one day he tweeted me, telling me about the launch of his new book.
However, he was reluctant to buy the book. I didn’t know much about the author and the title puzzled me a bit. And it had recently instituted a self-imposed ban on the purchase of books. With so many unread books around the house, I decided not to buy more until I made a hole in one of my stacks. (That moratorium has since been lifted.)
But I was so impressed that Mr. Dyck tweeted me, I contacted our local library and sent them a request to buy it. I thought that might take a while, so I immediately forgot about it.
Fast forward a year when I realized that I never got on with the library. In response to my request, they had bought two copies of “Yawning the Tigers.” Now he had no excuse not to read it. So I went to the library and checked it.
I am happy to have done it. My only regret is that I waited so long to read this book.
Like me, you may never have heard of Drew Dyck or “Yawning At Tigers.” Perhaps the best way I can explain this book is to refer to a book that you may be familiar with: CS Lewis’s classic children’s story “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” a delightful fantasy that takes the reader back to life. land of Narnia, where talking animals and magical powers abound.
The hero of Lewis’s book is a lion, not a tiger. His name is Aslan and he is a symbol of Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, Son of God and God the Son.
Before meeting Aslan for the first time, Susan (one of the main characters in the book) asks, “Are you … sure enough? I’m going to be pretty nervous about meeting a lion.”
Mr. Beaver responds, “Are you sure? Who said anything about insurance? Of course he’s not sure. But he’s good. He’s the King, I’m telling you.”
Aslan is dangerous and good. How can this be? This is the mystery of the character of God. This is what Drew Dyck calls “the great paradox of the Christian faith.”
And this is the premise of “Yawning the Tigers”: God is holy and loving, “transcendent and immanent, other and intimate.” He is above and beyond, but present. Like Aslan, he is dangerous and terrifying, but merciful, kind, and compassionate.
Have I surprised you by describing God as dangerous, scary, and unsafe? This is an aspect of God’s nature that we prefer to conveniently overlook, isn’t it? And that reaction is common, even among believers. As CS Lewis wrote, “People who have not been to Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time.” Conquering this false notion is the reason why Mr. Dyck wrote his book.
Although the Bible is clear regarding the paradoxical nature of God’s character, Mr. Dyck maintains that evangelicals have opted for a “one-sided representation” of God. We love to focus on God’s love, but “rarely do we hear about the mystery and majesty of God, much less whisper a word about his wrath.”
And then “something is missing” in the evangelical church. Our understanding of God has been thrown out of balance. Gone are the reverence and wonder, fear and trembling that you read in Scripture when a believer meets the Holy One of Israel.
We are yawning at the tigers (or lions). We do not tremble before God because we have tamed Him.
This is a serious accusation, isn’t it? Could Mr. Dyck be correct in his assessment of the evangelical church today? I think it is. And for this I applaud him. He is to be commended for confronting us about our distorted view of God.
As I think about my own experience in evangelism, I now realize that in the last 10 years I have heard only one sermon on hell. One. However, how many times did Jesus mention hell in his 3-year ministry? How often did Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles speak of God’s wrath? Much more than us. Mr. Dyck has his finger on the pulse of the Bible-believing churches.
I believe that this book presents an accurate and much-needed critique of a serious problem. Therefore, I recommend “Yawning Tigers” for these reasons:
1. Mr. Dyck’s accusation is backed by solid biblical teaching. The author is a talented Bible teacher, and he explains the character of God by going to the Scriptures first. He exposes passages like Exodus 32 and Isaiah 6 with great insight.
2. The author is a talented storyteller. You will hear about your Hawaii vacation and short-term mission trip to Albania. And before you know it, he has taught you something wonderful about God. He uses personal experiences to tell 21st century parables that lead us to tremble in God’s presence or embrace him for his tenderness.
3. It is also widely read and freely quotes evangelicals such as AW Tozer, John Piper, and RC Sproul. Mr. Dyck is not the only modern prophet calling out the church for his twisted view of God. He is following in the footsteps of other great men of the Word.
4. Finally, I like this book because it presents the antidote to our overemphasis on God’s love. By dedicating the first half of his book to the holiness of God and the second half to the goodness of God, the author has provided a wonderful example of a balanced treatment of God’s character. Shouldn’t the church do the same in our worship, preaching, and teaching?
Evangelicals would do well to heed the “Yawning Tigers” warning and instruction. I pray that many will read this book and interact with its content. A discussion guide is included which is ideal for both individual study and small groups.
“Yawning At Tigers” is available on Amazon.com and at your local Christian bookstore. And if you live in Allen County, Indiana, it’s available at the public library for free.