Be Last
Jeremy Kingsley
Reviewed by Tina Avon
I have just finished reading Be Last, Descending to Greatness, written
by Jeremy Kinglsey. I have never read a book quite like this one
since I don't really enjoy books that quote scriptures. However,
I was extremely interested in the author's basic premise.
Over the course of the last few years, I have noticed how we, as a
society, have become self-centered and, at times, downright selfish
people. I, myself, have realized that I automatically seem to
always consider "my" needs and "my" wants above all else. How did
we get to this point?
Kingsley tells us that we need to go back to a more basic place - we
need to read and apply God's word to our everyday life and more
importantly, we need to stop placing ourselves first and to start being
of service to our fellow man - and put THEM first - just as Jesus did
before us.
I believe that for most people, this is a tough concept to accept. Not
because we are horrible people - but rather because it goes against
what society and the "corporate world" is trying to tell us. Yet,
there is something enticing about the way Kingsley describes the
various situations he has had to live through and how he has applied
his beliefs, regardless of what "the world" may be thinking of him.
I also like Kingsley's basic message - that service and humility
go hand and hand. If you are available and present for someone
else, you will feel the greatness inside. For anyone in a 12 step
program, this will strike a cord - as we are told that one of the
cornerstones of recovery is to do service - to be there always with a
helping hand.
This book is relatively short (165 pages) and is written in a down to
earth, easy to read manner and the author obviously lives what he
believes. At times, I found it a little difficult to get through
all of the quoted scriptures but I do see that they are the foundation
of the book and therefore are a crucial part.
This book is a great read for those of us looking for answers.