Book Review, Walking Through Illusion, by Betsy Otter Thompson

Betsy and I have never met. She contacted be a month or so ago and requested I review her book. She promised to return the favor and I agreed. I think I got the better end of the deal.

I would not likely have read this book otherwise.

As I often say of my own work it is not a Christian book, it is a book by a Christian Author. This book IS a Christian book.

First, make no bones about it, I like this book. One of my all time favorite books is Richard Bach’s book “Illusions, the adventures of a reluctant messiah”. In many ways for me Betsy O. Thompson’s work picks up where Bach left off, his character of Donald is a messiah, Thompson’s central character is The Messiah, our Lord Jesus.

In the preface the author makes a case for emotional accountability. We are responsible for what comes back to us. We create our own reality.

The convention that Thompson uses of a dialogue with Jesus conveys a contemporary voice to Christ. Growing up in the church the only voice of Jesus in my mind was that of his teachings in the Gospel. It is a didactic, parental, teachers voice, but not intimate and personal. Thompson’s Jesus is natural, conversational, accessible and Human. The book is like watching Jesus on the Charley Rose show.

Founded on the premise that Everything seen is illusionary, everything felt is real, the title of the book is explained early on. Once this context is understood, then what follows is an enlightened story, very entertaining and deeply spiritual.

The book is filled with little proverbs or “truths” including one I firmly believe - DISAPPOINTMENT COMES FROM THINKING
THAT LIFE SHOULD BE DIFFERENT.
ENJOYMENT COMES FROM THINKING
THAT LIFE IS WONDERFUL THE WAY IT IS.

The worksheets at the end of each chapter provide a wonderful way for the reader to interact with the ideas of the book. This increases the impact of the experience of reading by almost forcing the reader to think about how they feel about the ideas they just “heard”.

If you are a Christian you will enjoy this work. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus, you will love it.