Survival Guide for the Soul

Ken Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, one of the largest and most diverse city-center churches in Canada. He is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal awarded to Canadians in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the country and the author of the international bestseller God in My Everything. Before entering pastoral ministry, he worked for the Sony Corporation in Tokyo and draws on both eastern and western perspectives in writing and speaking. Ken lives in Vancouver with his wife, Sakiko, and their son, Joey.

Introduction
I begin the book by describing how we face various forces that threaten our souls in a society that pressures us to achieve. I then reflect on the pressure I have felt to excel as a student, in the corporate world, and as a pastor.

Chapter 1: The Divided Self
This chapter focuses on how we have various desires which at times are at odds with each other. I illustrate how the desire to succeed and produce manifests itself in students, working professionals, as well as people who are conscious of their body image. Drawing upon both Scripture and psychology, I demonstrate that when we are preoccupied with success we will be less happy, but if we seek a rich inner life we will be not only happier, but flourish spiritually.

Chapter 2: How the Gospel Heals Us
I begin this chapter recalling my visit to the nuclear war museum in Hiroshima, Japan. I show how exposure to nuclear radioactivity undermined the physical well-being of the city and its people; in similar fashion, what I term the “radioactivity of sin” also distorts our desires. I explain that just as the planets of our solar system move in ordered rotation around the sun, so when the Son of God is at the center of our lives, our desires find their proper orbit. Drawing on the examples of St. Augustine and my own educationally ambitious mother, I show how the gospel transforms and heals our desires.

Chapter 3: Holy Habits
In this chapter I show how spiritual practices shape us so that we don’t pursue achievement simply to validate ourselves but to bring glory to God and serve others well. This part of the book explores how spiritual disciplines can help us experience God’s love deeply so that we live from a place of approval, rather than for approval. I also describe a way of life that helps us ride our ambitions rather than being ridden and ruined by them.

Chapter 4: Sabbath
In this chapter I focus on how Sabbath frees us from our tendency to validate ourselves through our productivity and success. Sabbath liberates us from the need to define ourselves by what we do. It helps us understand that we have value simply because we are beloved sons and daughters of God. The crucial, but oft-neglected practice of Sabbath enables us to live not just by the sweat of our brow, but the “grace of manna falling all around us.”

Chapter 5: Silent Meditation
In this chapter I show how silent meditation can help us overcome feeling too busy and distracted. Using Scripture, I clarify that meditation is not some New Age practice, but profoundly biblical. Using my own experience as well as findings from neuroscience, I illustrate how meditation is good for our souls and rewires our brains, helping us become more present to God and to the people around us. Using a metaphor of sailing, I show how silent contemplation can simultaneously make us aware of the garbage on the water of our lives while also opening our eyes to the great beauty in our lives that we might otherwise miss.

Chapter 6: Simplicity
This chapter begins by showing that neuroscience confirms that material objects do bring us a measure of pleasure as dopamine is released in our brain. But this happiness is fleeting. In contrast, I show how Jesus brings us a deeper and lasting joy. I point out how Jesus was the only person who could have determined his net worth before entering the world, yet chose to live a life of genuine simplicity. Thus, a “perfect life” isn’t necessarily one of great material affluence. Using personal examples, I demonstrate how when Christ fills our souls, we desire less and find we need fewer things and can live a simpler and more joyful life.

Chapter 7: Servanthood
This chapter begins with examples of how I sought to climb the ladder of success. As a young adult, I envisioned working both in the corporate world and then in vocational Christian ministry. Using the example of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, I show how true greatness was defined by him in a very countercultural w