Being Like Water

By Charlie Fox

Being like water' is essentially six years worth of thoughts, dreams, considerations, realisations and points of discussion which eventually developed and cohesed into something more holistic and directed. The overriding theme of this book is that following the gospel of Christ is the most effective way of adapting to the world and events in your life. It is an attempt to explain WHY this works and why it changes people's lives for the better every day. Also to place the belief system into a wider contemporary spiritual context.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781447649953

Charlie Fox

 Charlie Fox is a writer who lives in London. He was born in 1991. His work has appeared in many publications including  frieze ,  Cabinet ,  Sight & Sound ,  ArtReview ,  The Wire  and  The White Review.

Book preview

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Foreword

‘Being like water’ is essentially six years worth of thoughts, dreams, considerations, realisations and points of discussion which eventually developed and cohesed into something more holistic and directed.

The overriding theme of this book is that following the gospel of Christ is the most effective way of adapting to the world and events in your life. It is an attempt to explain WHY this works and why it changes people’s lives for the better every day. Also to place the belief system into a wider contemporary spiritual context.

I have divided this document into chapters, but there may be repetition and intersection from one chapter into another and so I leave it up to you reader, in some ways, to join the dots.

It jumps about slightly and some subjects come in from left field, especially in ‘The rest’ section. I have chosen to leave these in for character and due to the spirit in which the book was written.

To the Father,

and my son.

For all the people in my life, that is, all of you.

And for Helen.

Actual Christianity

True Christianity is personal Christianity. You walking with Christ. It is not organised religion.

Christianity’s power is not immediate and self gratifying, it is progressive and gives personal freedom. Immediate, unearned power which is self gratifying has a price and leaves you in bondage to desires of your own ego.

Many people say they cannot follow Christ because they cannot see him.

Let us pretend for a moment that following Christ means constantly satisfying all your physical desires with whomever you wish and all morality being a matter of personal choice.

Then let us say that materialism is a belief system which promotes monogamy and forgiveness of your enemies. If this were true how many then would follow Christ? Following Christ is the hardest road and that is why people do not follow him, it is not because they cannot see him.

True Christianity’s focus is on developing character and spirit through adaptation, not sating the desires of your ego. It prepares you for the next world, and does not allow you to waste yourself in this one.

As a man Jesus is dead and gone. As God you can FEEL him in your spirit, if you try.

Only God is God, the bible is a book ABOUT God.

Real Christianity is not a mind controlling trap, though some people may twist and use it as such, even some churches. This, sadly, in many people’s minds, destroys the validity of Christ’s message.

Scripture takes second place to actual action in that following Christ is about leading through service to others, not leading through trying to control how they think and feel.

God uses those who have faith. If you have faith, it makes real your relationship with God.

Be aware that many people’s experience of what Christianity is has been coloured and soured by the church. The antics of the church establishment have turned many people from Christ. Christianity is not the church. Christianity is nothing more than a personal relationship with God manifested through your actions, choices, prayers and through relationships with other people. It is both internal and external in nature, as God is both internal and external in nature. This means that answers to prayer can come either externally or internally.

People will recognise God when they are ready.

No amount of aggressive poking, prodding or ‘bible bashing’ will persuade them otherwise and may indeed drive them away. You could be doing a definite disservice.

Give them an option, demonstrate the benefits through your own actions and let them CHOOSE. You cannot convict someone of their own sins, they must do that themselves.

Choosing to walk with God must be a FULL PERSONAL choice.

The great challenge of Christianity is knowing what to do under your own power and what to leave to God. Therefore you must have

Reviews for Being Like Water

[michaelwoodhead · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charlie Fox is an insightful young man. With this book, he brings together ‘six years worth of thoughts, dreams, considerations, realizations and points of discussion’ which center around the Christian life.Fox’s presentation, however, is quite different from the usual books that contain Christian lifestyle teaching. Rather, its approach is to show and explain why the good news of Jesus Christ is ‘the most effective way of adapting to the world and events in your life’.There is no straightforward narrative here; no quoting of scripture; no condescending or holier-than-thou attitude. Just some personal observations that make a lot of sense.The author covers a number of different topics—the crucifixion; grace; sowing and reaping; morality; atheism; the occult; truth; and he even touches on the ever-controversial politics and religion: ‘Politics is group first, individual second. Spirituality/personal religion is individual first, group second’. (That’s why they shouldn’t mix)As I interpret it, the title of the book paraphrases martial artist Bruce Lee in that the Christian life should be like water—flowing through the world, adapting to it without actually being affected by it, gradually wearing down any wrongful influences, and giving new life to dry places.Being Like Water is a small, but powerful book.