Things Unseen: Living with Eternity in Your Heart

by Mark Buchanan

Blending pastoral warmth, philosophical depth, storytelling skill, and literary craft, Mark Buchanan encourages Christians to make heaven, literally, our "fixation" -- filling our vision, gripping our heart, and anchoring our hope. Only then, says Buchanan, can we become truly fearless on this earth, free from the fear of losing our life, property, status, title, or comfort; free from the threat of tyrants, the power of armies, and the day of trouble. Buchanan reawakens the instinctive yearning for things above, showing that only the heavenly minded are of much earthly good.

Genres: Christian Living, Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Spirituality, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Mark Buchanan lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife, Cheryl. They have three adult children, Adam, Sarah, and Nicola. He was a longtime pastor, an author of many books, and now serves as a professor at Ambrose University College in Calgary.

Reviews

[Yolanda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely, and full of wisdom nuggets. Buchanan combines simple storytelling with elegant, poetic prose.

[Heather Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Buchanon is a beautiful wordsmith; his words are art and his stories are so wonderfully told.
I absolutely adored the overall message of this novel. There were some parts that will never leave me and I believe I was meant to read this at this exact time in my life. The ending was so peaceful and I might say that it was easily, the most beautiful conclusion to any novel that I have ever read.
I only gave this book 4 stars though, narrowly escaping 5 stars, because I just found that at certain times, it dragged on. I kept pushing through those few pages though because again, the overall message was well worth it.
I'm looking forward to reading some of his other work.

[Lisa Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It reminded me to think on things above, living for eternity.

[Joy Kidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I'd been pondering the bittersweetness of life, even doing some writing about it, suspecting that unexplained longings were actually a longing for heaven. Mark Buchanan does, too, exploring this theme chapter after chapter. Those of us familiar with the movie "Karate Kid" will enjoy Chapter 15, "Wax On, Wax Off," suggesting that just as Mr. Miyagi's strange instructions to Daniel were a secret apprenticeship in learning karate, one day we may discover that our mundane and even excruciating days are an apprenticeship for heaven. This delightful book is a keeper.

[Jonathan Brooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read Buchanan's other (later) works, I've come to expect his special way of weaving words in poetic ways. Personally I'm of the mind that he improves this skill later on in his writing, because there were times in this book that I actually think it muddied the waters of the flow of his thought.

Regardless, in this quick read on heaven and more so about being heavenly minded, Buchanan uses personal story and insight from Scripture to help the reader not only think better about what heaven is like but how an eternal perspective dramatically affects the lives of the first followers of Christ as well as those today. It's well written, gave some unique insight, and was a generally enjoyable read.

I do think there were at least two moments that I feared his desire for eloquence and flow of words had him veering into theologically mirky waters. For instance, at one point he posits that Christians are already resurrected. Now I'm pretty certain I "get" what he was going for here, but nonetheless it's just very inaccurate to suggest that our new life in Christ is 1. the same as resurrection and 2. nullifying the other Scriptures that point to a resurrection of the dead.

Still, this is a book worth having read and worth chewing on as I consider the way I live in light of "things unseen."

[Craig Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things Unseen
by Mark Buchanan

Living in the light of forever.

It's just an excellent book for this season of my life.

If you are searching for some perspective after loss, this is a great read.

"That is a deep sadness in many people. They live toward something, yearn for it, strive for it-but never know quite what it is." p.227

"But the Christian's existence is living toward eternity, where death is only eternity's gateway. "We cannot," Timothy Jones writes, "live rightly until we aim past life. Eternity provides the only goal that makes the ultimate sense of our lives." p.211

Read on.

#inspiration #amwriting #hope #thespiritualthriller #mentor #cameronlost #charitysfire #readabook #amwritingfiction

[Jodie Pine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A needed look at the unseen world as we endure hard things in this life.

"We hope in Christ not just because He feeds us, or heals us, or routs our enemies. Indeed, sometimes he doesn't do any of that; sometimes He turns us away empty-bellied, cancer-ridden, defeated. No, we hope in Christ because of who He is, because He has the words of eternal life, and because anyone 'who feeds on this bread will live forever.' Because the world--and all its bread and all its fish and all its jewels and all its wonders and all its everything--is not enough. Life doesn't justify living.

Only eternity does. And Jesus alone grants that."

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of stunning illustrations and poetic language, Buchanan convinces us of the not-enoughness of this ephemeral life and the breathtaking glories of heaven we all pine for. This book helped me remember: "Life doesn't justify living. Only eternity does. And Jesus alone grants that" (136). He also reveals how, paradoxically, the more we live for our future life, the more beauty we can embrace in this present one.

[Bsdada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book. It's focus is on thinking about Heaven and preparing for a good death. If you want to know what that means read the book. It is full of nuggets of truth such as "Faith without works is dead. Faith without Heaven is dead too." I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about how to live in this world in preparation for the world to come.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by a great author. Buchanan has such a way with words, combining vivid description with fascinating tales that illustrate his points so powerfully.
Overall, this book teaches us to set our eyes on things about, to value what is eternal more than what is temporal, and to live now in light of that.

[Annette Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because I love literature and writing, I loved this book. Mark’s references to classical literature and his skill with words kept me entranced. He also uses story, often personal, to make a point, my favorite way to learn. If you have ever wondered about heaven, this book is for you.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Love his writing. There was nothing terribly new or earth shattering in this read. It did not get into describing Heaven the way I may have hoped. But each day I would read a chapter, and be encouraged and have a better perspective on life and it's purpose.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this is a good way of focusing your mind on what is important/

[Stephen Andert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. It helps to understand how keeping our focus on eternal life makes our decisions about this life easier to make and the challenges easier to manage.

[Melinda Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good content, but not the best style for me in this chapter. Lots of words and illustrations to describe what I already know.

[James]

A book about heaven and our longing for heaven. It was good, not great. Gave me some new perspectives on how to live life now in light of eternity before us.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buchanan is a wonderful wordsmith and his colourful and image-rich prose makes for good reading, but in terms of content, "Things Unseen" is lacking. Granted, "devotional" books aren't usually my cup of tea. I enjoy reading academic theology and then working out the "devotional" side of things on my own. That said, I don't think it's just my perception that something's missing here. For a book on "heaven" Buchanan seems to muddle the intermediate state with the New Jerusalem and the "present heaven" with the new "future heaven" melded to the new earth. In the muddle the resurrection of the saints seems to get lost, perhaps not entirely, but still lost. Buchanan talks about our hope of new "spiritual bodies", but what about the ultimate hope of the resurrection of our physical bodies? Honestly, my heavenly hope is not in a temporary spiritual-only existence in a temporary heaven awaiting its final renovation. I look forward to that great day on which the saints are resurrected to glory and the New Jerusalem irrupts into history as the new heaven descends to join with the new earth. And speaking of hope: I can't help but feel that Buchanan is missing the essential element of doxology. Maybe it's just not here because doxology isn't the book's focus...but, then, shouldn't it be? If my chief hope, my chief source of encouragement, my great longing is simply for heaven as a better place than earth, my faith becomes egocentric, self-centred...it's a "What's in it for me?" faith. Scripture certainly does offer us the hope of heaven as a better place than earth and a heavenly existence as a better existence than the fallen one we live now...but this is all something that pales in comparison to the hope of being restored to full and unbroken fellowship with our Creator, of living in his presence eternally, of heavenly worship, and of living life for his glory as he intended (and which I rejected). It's not that Buchanan is wrong...just unbalanced. Where's the Beatific Vision here?

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Sunday, I go to my pastor's library and pick out a book to read for the week. This week I picked this one. At first I thought, "Nah. I'll tuck this away and wait until next Sunday to get another one." Then I read only 5 pages further and decided it really was a pretty good book. The thing I liked best about this book is how well it is written. Buchanan really has a flair for language. You feel his writing with every stroke of his pen. He's got passion and it is transparent. I've never had anyone explain things this well. Some parts of it gnaw on about his own personal experiences which are very relevant, but sometimes not. Still, his talent for words is enough to damper even this.

The usual cliches of Heaven are slammed in this book. His description of what he knows through scripture and the experience of others who have died then relived to tell are impeccable. He doesn't mess around with fantasy or the limitations of the language to describe. If anyone could describe it, it is this pastor.

Buchanan goes beyond the description of Heaven and knocks to mind some of the reasons for it being, the way to enter, and the real meaning of Christianity. He also constantly reminds us the real meaning of the sacrifice and how we are to expound on it withe habits of our lives. This is a good read for Christians.

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

With beautiful language and visually inspiring analogies, Mark Buchanan shows us how God has put "eternity in our hearts," which is why nothing here in this life or on this earth will ever truly satisfy us. He relates his experiences of enjoying great beauty, joy, and wonder, and yet still having that nagging sense of "is this all there is?" Not as theologically heavy as Randy Alcorn's "Heaven," (which I highly recommend), this answers the question of our discontent even in the face of having our longings fulfilled; of being loved, having achievements, enjoying a full rich life. God wants us to never be satisfied with this life or this world, but to recognize that only in Him will we have utter joy and satisfaction. This book really helps one to get a better perspective, not only about why good things don't satisfy us, but also how disappointment, discouragement and despair don't have the final word in our destiny.

[Heidi]

A long reflection on two of my all time favorite passages:

"He has set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

"Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will appear with him in glory." 1 Colossians 3:1-4.

A good read for Easter--helped me regain perspective. Mark Buchanan is a good writer with many stories to tell from his life in the parish.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I've read on the subject of eternity and its impact on our daily life. This is a writer of great sensitivity. His poetic prose is a joy to read on any subject, and I recommend him unreservedly. This happens to be my favorite of his books.

[Chase · Rating 1 out of 5]

Buchanan is good with words and I found the first chapter or two gripping, but I didn't see a lot of depth beyond the one basic point. Also, he talks about heaven throughout, which I though was a little confusing vis a vis the kingdom of God.

[Michael McCloskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

His second work, Mark Buchanan's poetic and moving writing style compliments his passion for understanding how a view of eternity can transform the way we live now. We really do live in a world of faith not sight.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

the best book about heaven i've ever read. it is good, goose-bumpy good at some points. not every chapter is a home run, but as a whole it deserves to be savoured over time and returned to often so that all our values and grand perspective of life can be soaked in this wisdom.

[Bruce Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appreciated the encouragement and inspiration to think on things unseen. My first Mark Buchanan book and it is a good read. Eternity starts with knowing Jesus. This reading gave my faith a shot of reality. It will be in The Hills' library.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stirred up a longing for eternity but an excitement for what God has for us here, if only we would open our eyes to see.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Mark Buchanan helps explain our continual feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction. His personal stories and experiences add great insight and give it a touch of familiarity.

[Ralph · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most uplifting books. It makes sense when life does not. I have given copies to those who lost loved ones, especially those sudden and unexpected losses.

[Sharon Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful read!

[Kathy Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply touching and timely as I grieve for Isaac. I cried all the way through but it was very good for me and reassuring about Heaven.