10/19/2025
What a beautiful book that captures a life well lived. I have always admired the work of Dallas Willard and the way that he lived his life. This book only increases that admiration.
I first met Dallas Willard sometime around 2005-2007. I don’t remember the exact date, but I remember one of my college students from USC inviting him to come speak to the college group at Bel Air Presbyterian where I was the college pastor. I remember him showing up in his suit and tie and taking a seat on the front row, worshipping along with all the students from USC, UCLA, LMU, and those college aged kids pursuing acting and music in Los Angeles.
And when he got up and spoke, you could hear a pin drop.
He lived a deeply rooted spiritual life, and it oozed out of him in a way that made you want to know more about how you could experience that deep life. It was contagious.
This last Friday, our little book club sat around talking about how deeply the book impacted us personally, and how important the deeply formed spiritual life is needed in our frantic churches and communities and lives today.
To see one’s theological development and spiritual practice take place over a long period of time, has been a good reminder of that “long obedience in the same direction” that Eugene Peterson so eloquently wrote about.
Thanks for the reminder Dallas.