"Yawning At Tigers: You Can't Tame God, So Stop Trying" is a book by Drew Dyck, managing editor of "Leadership Journal," a publication of "Christianity Today." I first heard of Mr. Dyck about a year ago when I started following him on Twitter. Much to my surprise, one day he tweeted me, telling me about the release of his new book.
I what did cherry chapstick mean reluctant to purchase the book, however. I didn't know much about the author and I was a bit baffled by the title. And I had recently instituted a self-imposed ban on book buying. With so many unread books lying around the house, I decided not to purchase any more until I made a dent 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 submitted a request for them to buy it. I figured that could take a while, so I promptly forgot about it.
Fast-forward a year when it dawned on me that I never followed up with the library. In response to my request, they had bought two copies of "Yawning At Tigers." Now I had no excuse not to read it. So I headed to the library and checked it out.
I'm glad I did. My only regret is that I waited so long to read this book.
Like me, perhaps you've never heard of Drew Dyck or "Yawning At Tigers." Perhaps the best way I can explain this book is to reference a book you may be familiar with - C.S. Lewis' classic children's tale "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," a delightful fantasy that transports the reader to the land of Narnia, where talking animals and magical powers abound.
The hero of Lewis' book is a lion, not a tiger. His name is Aslan and he is symbolic 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 book's main characters) asks, "Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
Mr. Beaver responds, "Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
Aslan is both unsafe and good. How can this be? This is the mystery of the character of God. This is what Drew Dyck calls "the grand paradox of the Christian faith."