Pulse: You Can’t Heal What You Can’t Feel
By Rob Link (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)
Rob Link frequently quips, “If you have a pulse, you have issues.” This is the underlying foundation of his book Pulse: You Can’t Heal What You Can’t Feel.
Part one, with its lone chapter, “Fine,” delves into this. People ask how we are and we reply with the socially acceptable response of “I’m fine.”
The reality is that often we are not fine. As a result of being alive, we do have issues—and we’ve learned to hide them.
Rob Link then talks about the healing process in part two, which contains six chapters. It was his process and it can be ours. “Present passions are windows,” Rob relates.
They are windows to wounds from our past. Within these wounds are contained lies, but it is the truth that can transform us.
In part three of Pulse: You Can’t Heal What You Can’t Feel, Rob relates a dozen examples that help us move through our issues into freedom.
He starts with our junk drawer and progressively moves us towards praise. Along the way, he shares with us the importance of listening to God.
He also encourages us to get naked (figuratively, of course), to pursue regular times of solitude, to focus on others, and to recognize and confess our sins.
Throughout Pulse Rob frequently and transparently shares his own issues, most effectively illustrating his points.
Many are funny—often at his expense—while a few are heavy, or potentially so, if not for the healing freedom that can be found through Jesus and aided by pursuing him with a like-minded community.
Each chapter ends with a prayer that relates to its theme. We can adopt this prayer as our own or adapt it as needed. Also there are a series of ‘go deeper” questions, which are great for personal introspection or group discussion.
We do have a pulse, therefore we do have issues, but we can be healed from them, allowing us to live freely and fully in Jesus. That’s what Pulse is all about.
[Pulse: You Can’t Heal What You Can’t Feel, by Rob Link. Published by Reformed Church Press, 2011; ISBN: 978-0-916466-02-2; 102 pages.]
Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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