The Vertical Self

In The Vertical Self, Mark Sayers literally rips apart culture and exposes it for what it's (most of it) worth; a shallow expression of an identity that was once in Christ. Sayers' experiences as a minister in Melbourne, Australia has led him to believe that the body of believers are currently experiencing an ‘identity crisis' whereby we look to others, cultural trends/clichés, celebrities, musicians, artists for identity (the horizontal self) - rather than acknowledging one's true identity in Christ; that is, a perfect creation, instructed to shine the light of Jesus and stand out (for all the right reasons), which he titles ‘The Vertical Self'. Sayers' ability observe culture is astonishingly insightful, and challenged me personally to step back and look at who I am: who I claim to be in the flesh, the image (or identity) I cultivate in the online world, and where I look for confidence, validation, and hope. This is by far the best Christian book I've ever read and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Christian perspective on culture, and where the pitfalls may come if we choose to immerse ourselves in sub-cultures which don't have Christ as their foundation.