In Designed to Become Divine: The Role of Peace, Rubin Perry makes an impassioned plea for readers to move beyond what they perceive with their five senses and embrace a new sacred reality centered on the peace that comes from living a life centered on Jesus Christ.
Perry describes his “encounters with the spiritual world and God” and offers lessons and insights on how we can live in harmony in our daily lives. He posits that peace, seemingly elusive for many, “is obtained through knowledge and understanding” of God’s divine nature and doing what he “directs so that we become like Him.”
Seemingly inspired as much by authors such as William Blake and Emmanuel Swedenborg as he is by the Bible, Perry’s writings, though far from flawless, embody an intriguing mysticism. The author offers meditative examinations of the soul’s anatomy; spiritual beings like angels and the Holy Spirit; and the mysterious gift of grace, “a divine substance that opens up the path to other divine gifts” like understanding and wisdom.
The book centers, however, on the importance of prayer and Christian meditation for attaining greater awareness of our life’s purpose. From these practices we can access divine truth, Perry contends, and ultimately higher states of consciousness, including union with God. His book concludes with a quick summation of peace in action and also examines spiritual warfare and the devices and snares dark forces use to keep us from experiencing God’s light.
Perry’s insights into the numinous are memorable and invigorating. The book, however, is undercut with repetition and many awkward sentences that detract from his teachings (e.g., “Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit have been sent to mankind to assist with the restoration and reconciliation of mankind back to God by regenerating the original God image and nature in mankind”).
Nonetheless, Perry’s visions are beautifully wrought and thought-provoking. Although in need of more editing, this book is recommended for those interested in contemplative spirituality and Christian mysticism.
Also available in hardcover.
