The Eye of the Prophet

Rating:
Summary: mysticism, poetry, and religion
Review: Kahlil Gibran's "Eye of the Prophet" is a collection of meditations on religion and life. Gibran's writing is both mystical and lyrical as he comments on truths he's learned throughout life. Although he believes in an inexplainable God, Gibran also posits that religion has a practical side. For example, "to be closer to God, be closer to people." Although God exceeds our understanding, we can approach Him through other human beings. In this book Gibran also explains that people often obscure their true, divine, selves; this leads to misery. This concept is explored in the following story: "I saw a young man trying to seduce the heart of a young girl with tender words, while the true feelings of both were half asleep and they were very far from their divine nature." The same theme of human nature being basically good, despite self-corruption, continues throughout the book. Gibran's ideas will likely not shock those readers who are familiar with mainstream religions and the Bible: Gibran himself drew heavily on the Bible. Although I enjoyed the book, I found I had to break it up and read small sections at a time. Too much "Eye of the Prophet" at once made me feel simultaneously overwhelmed and skeptical. Overall, I found the book provocative and beautifully-written, if at times a little repetitive.