Searching for Agabus: Embracing Authenticity and Finding Your Way to You

The ideological salvo of Walrond’s (radio cohost, Keepin’ It Real) book asserts that this era is a shallow, self-absorbed age, when people’s intentions rely upon oversharing and superficiality. Walrond, pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church in Manhattan, says that being courageous in conforming times is difficult, especially when the craving for personal acceptance and public affirmation comes at the price of one’s authentic self. His harshest censure is directed at social media, which he says is the apotheosis of narcissistic impulses and pathological attention seekers. Walrond, with a gentle hand, situates Agabus, a New Testament prophet from the book of Acts, as the antidote to society’s modern malaise. The book indicates that Christian believers rest in the knowledge that they are “God’s joy,” an awareness that can lead to replacing the craving for the shallow approval of an anonymous and virtual world. The author advises readers to seek that joy and to live authentically each day. Readers may find that sometimes life itself offers the best discoveries and messages about self and service.