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When Brian McLaren began offering an alternative vision of Christian faith and life in books such as A New Kind of Christian and A Generous Orthodoxy, he ignited a firestorm of praise and condemnation that continues to spread across the religious landscape. To some religious conservatives, McLaren is a dangerous rebel without a doctrinally-correct cause. Some fundamentalist websites have even claimed he's in league with the devil and have consigned him to flames.
To others though, Brian is a fresh voice, a welcome antidote to the staleness, superficiality, and negativity of the religious status quo. A wide array of people from Evangelical, Catholic, and Mainline Protestant backgrounds claim that through his books they have begun to rediscover the faith they'd lost or rejected. And around the world, many readers say that he has helped them find-for the first time in their lives-a faith that makes sense and rings true. For many, he articulates the promise of what is being called "emerging Christianity."
In The Secret Message of Jesus you'll find what's at the center of Brian's critique of conventional Christianity, and what's at the heart of his expanding vision. In the process, you'll meet a Jesus who may be altogether new to you, a Jesus who is…
- Not the crusading conqueror of religious broadcasting;
- Not the religious mascot of partisan religion;
- Not heaven's ticket-checker, whose words have been commandeered by the church to include and exclude, judge and stigmatize, pacify and domesticate.
McLaren invites you to discover afresh the transforming message of Jesus-an open invitation to radical change, an enlightening revelation that exposes sham and ignites hope, an epic story that is good news for everyone, whatever their gender, race, class, politics, or religion.
"Pastor and best-selling author McLaren revisits the gospel material from a fresh-and at times radical-perspective . . . He does an excellent job of capturing Jesus' quiet, revolutionary style."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Here McLaren shares his own ferocious journey in pondering the teachings and actions of Jesus. It is McLaren's lack of salesmanship or agenda that creates a refreshing picture of the man from Galilee who changed history."
--Donald Miller, Author of Blue Like Jazz
"In this critical book, Brian challenges us to ask what it would mean to truly live the message of Jesus today, and thus to risk turning everything upside down."
--Jim Wallis, Author of God's Politics and editor of Sojourners
"Compelling, crucial and liberating: a book for those who seek to experience the blessed heat of Christianity at its source."
--Anne Rice, Author of Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt
- Sales Rank: #246741 in Books
- Model: 1730588
- Published on: 2007-04-01
- Released on: 2007-04-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.39" h x .87" w x 5.47" l, .65 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 288 pages
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Pastor and bestselling author McLaren (A New Kind of Christian) explores Jesus's teaching in this book, placing it in its Jewish context, analyzing its tenets and expression, and trying to work out how it should be lived today. McLaren starts with the assumption that the church may not have accurately understood Jesus's "secret message" (hidden "as a treasure one must seek in order to find"). He revisits the gospel material from a fresh—and at times radical—perspective. The church has focused on salvation as a means to "heaven after you die" for too long, according to McLaren; we should take Jesus at his word when he says "the kingdom of God is here now," and work to assist that kingdom by being peacemakers and loving others. McLaren admits to not exploring every topic here in depth, in an effort to keep the book brief, but he does an excellent job of capturing Jesus's quiet, revolutionary style—the prophet who spoke in parables, who didn't want people to talk about his miracles, who challenged established Jewish thought, and paradoxically found ultimate fulfillment and victory through death. Conservative evangelicals will be critical of some points (and there are weaknesses here), but this book will appeal to a broad spectrum of people who want to understand Jesus. (Apr. 4)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Brian D. McLaren (MA, University of Maryland) is an author, speaker, activist and public theologian. After teaching college English, Brian pastored Cedar Ridge Community Church in the Baltimore-Washington, DC area. Brain has been active in networking and mentoring church planters and pastors for over 20 years. He is a popular conference speaker and a frequent guest lecturer for denominational and ecumenical leadership gatherings in the US and internationally.
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475 of 508 people found the following review helpful.
Refreshing, Provocative, and Inspiring
By Adam Ellis
The provocative title alone is enough to grab one's attention. In fact, I have been reading scathing reviews/criticism of the title for weeks on other sites written by people who haven't even read the book. I guess I'm a little different. I felt that I should probably actually read the book before I presumed to comment on it (crazy, I know). Now, having read the the book ), I'll share my thoughts on what I have (actually) read.
I'll begin my admitting my bias. I have been looking forward to this book. McLaren's work has been a blessing to me and has reinvigorated my faith. That being said, introduction is vintage McLaren. On every page I was struck with the sense of "I'm not alone," and "I'm not crazy". He beautifully articulates thoughts and feelings that I've been having for years. Has Christianity in it's most popular forms somehow missed or lost the major thrust of Jesus' message and elevated other things, which though important, were never meant to have the prominence they now enjoy?
Chapter 1 is titled "Troubling Questions About Jesus". It begins with almost 2 full pages of questions about Jesus and his message that will indeed trouble you if you will actually consider them. They are not however the kind of questions that critics would accuse him of asking. From the title, many are assuming that McLaren is promoting a Gnostic view of Jesus. This is most assuredly not the case. The divinity of Jesus is quite firmly upheld and affirmed. What is questioned is our perceptions and understandings. McLaren asks "What if Jesus of Nazareth was right--more right in different ways than we ever realized? What if Jesus had a message that could truly save the world, but we're prone to miss the point of it?" This chapter is a very useful exercise in thought for those who are willing to go through it.
Chapter 2 is on "The Political Message of Jesus". In in, McLaren outlines the 4 major "political parties" of Jesus' day (Pharisees, Saducees, Zealots, Essenes), and then compares and contrasts Jesus' message/methods with theirs. It is quite an informative exercise with far reaching implications that branch into our own day and culture.
Chapter 3 explores "The Jewish Message of Jesus". This chapter brings to mind the work of N.T. Wright (particularly "The New Testament and the People of God"), though it is done in a more accessible way than Wright's scholarly work. McLaren has certainly done his homework. This background is absolutely key to understanding Jesus and his message in context. I am genuinely excited about the release of this book so that this type of contextualization will be available in such a readable form.
Chapter 4 examines "The Revolutionary Message of Jesus." It begins with a summary of the story of scripture very similar to the one presented in "The Story We Find Ourselves In". Some may consider this to be rehashing old material, but I find it to be quite necessary for the argument McLaren is building and appreciate it's inclusion here. This chapter also includes a nod to eschatology that is strikingly different from the "Escapist" eschatologies that are currently enjoying popularity. Without giving away too much, the "revolution" that the title refers to is eschatological in nature and the implication is that Jesus and his followers were/are revolutionaries moving toward that end.
Chapter 6 is titled "The Hidden Message of Jesus", and begins by examining the fact that Jesus messages weren't overtly religious. His teaching honestly can't be extolled for it's clarity. Jesus was often quite vague. McLaren raises the question, "What could possibly be the benefit of Jesus's hiddenness, intrigue, lack of clarity, metaphor, and answering questions with questions? Why risk being misunderstood--or not understood at all? If the message is so important, why hide it in evocative rather than technical language?" Why indeed?
McLaren will surprise his critics in a few instances, (though I'm sure they will dismiss it because they presume to know what he "really means"). For example, on page 6 he states, "A lot of people say, 'It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere.' I'd like to challenge that belief. Believing untrue things puts you at odds with reality, and can prove downright destructive." That's not quite the relativist statement you would expect from reading his critics. He also notes the contemporary fascination with the "Gnostic Gospels" and "The Davinci Code". He wonders how we could have reached a point where the Jesus presented in those so called accounts could seem more interesting to some people than the Jesus presented in the canonical gospels. He suggests that a benefit from all this hype is that, while those accounts themselves are misleading, they could force us to consider "the possibility that the church's conventional versions of Jesus may not do him justice."
To be totally honest with you, I keep thinking "This is the book I wish I had written." Let's get in to section 2:
Part 2 is called "Engagement: Grappling With The Meaning of Jesus's Message"
Chapter 6 explores "The Medium of the Message". In this chapter, McLaren examines Jesus use of "parable". What could possibly be the benefit of trying to advance this radical message in short, seemingly irreligious stories? He also takes a closer look at the string of parables found in Matthew 13. I really appreciated Brian's insight in this chapter. I think his background in Literature really pays off here.
Chapter 7 is titled "The Demonstration of the Message". Here McLaren tackles the subject of Miracles. Why did Jesus perform them? Did it have anything to do with his message? McLaren also looks at worldviews here. Did God just set the world in motion, to run on its own...and are miracles when he reaches in from a distance and "fiddles with the gears"? Is there another way to look at miracles other than when a generally uninvolved God decides to intervene?
Chapter 8 deals with "The Scandal of the Message". What were/are the powers and principalities that Jesus was trying to overturn. How does his message combat them. Demons, possession and the like also get some discussion in this compelling chapter. McLaren actually tries to find some common ground for people who believe in literal demons and those who don't. It is a very interesting and compelling take on the subject.
In Chapter 9, McLaren explains that "You Can't Keep a Secret". Here, he tackles "The Great Commission". He even integrates the differently worded versions of it from the different gospel writers into a single paraphrased account. What exactly was the mission that Jesus laid out for his followers. Over the years, have we begun to miss the point of it?
I loved chapter 10. It's called "Secret Agents of the Kingdom". McLaren says, "Too often, when the story of the movement of Jesus is told, most of the focus is on the religious professionals. But what if their role is at best minor? What if the real difference is made in the world not by us preachers, but by those who endure our preaching, those who quietly live out the secret message of the kingdom of God in their daily, workaday likes in the laboratory, classroom, office, cockpit, parliament, kitchen, market, factory, and neighborhood?" This chapter is positively inspirational. I admit I wiped a couple of tears.
Chapter 11 is called "The Open Secret". In this brief chapter, McLaren deconstructs the argument of Christianity v/s Paulianity that is being promoted by some these days. He points out many of the places where Paul overtly speaks of "the Kingdom" (Jesus central message), and then discusses why Paul doesn't just repeat the ideas that Jesus taught and uses different terminology. He also talks a good bit about "inclusion" here.
In Chapter 12, McLaren talks about "Hiding the Message in New Places". He explores how Paul found new ways to communicate the message of Jesus, like subverting Caesar's political propaganda and putting Jesus in Caesar's place. Again, the I am reminded of the work of N.T. Wright, though, as before, it is presented here in a much more accessible form. Brian also points out that while Paul doesn't use parables, he does use stories, including his own to spread the message.
Chapter 13 was a surprise to me. He titles it "getting it, Getting in". Here, McLaren delivers a beautifully fresh take on "the Plan of Salvation", (yes, that plan of salvation). I really can't describe to you how I felt when I read this chapter. "Hope" I guess gets closest to what I felt.
Section 3 is titled "Imagination: Exploring how Jesus's secret message could change everything".
Chapter 14: "Kingdom Manifesto"--In this chapter, McLaren walks us through "The Sermon on The Mount". If one buys into Jesus' "Secret Message", what does that mean for the way they live their life? McLaren sees this passage as being key to answering that question. He explains:
"I should acknowledge that many people assume the sermon intends to answer one question--namely, 'How does an individual go to heaven after death?' This was my assumption as well for many years, but as I have reflection the life and message of Jesus, I have become convinced that Jesus is exploring a very different set of questions--namely, 'What kind of life does God want people to live? What does life in the kingdom of God look like? What is a truly good (or righteous) life? How does this message differ from conventional messages?' Rather than directing our attention to life after death in heaven, away from this life and beyond history, these questions return our focus to the here and now--and in so doing, they provide an essential window into Jesus' secret message."
Chapter 15: "Kingdom Ethics"--Here, McLaren continues his exploration of the "Sermon on the Mount", looking specifically at "spiritual practices" and character. This is a really challenging chapter. I don't mean that its tough to read or that its tough to understand. It's quite simple in those areas actually. I mean it will challenge you at a deeply personal level. He asks deeply penetrating questions dealing with the way we tend to center our lives around the "unholy trinity of money, sex and power", and then points to 3 ways that Jesus message combats this tendency"
Chapter 16: "The Language of the Kingdom"--This is a great chapter. McLaren points out that the wording of the message of Jesus was not crafted in a vacuum. Jesus message was constructed in language that was relative to the time and culture in which he originally delivered it. (Note: The language of the message is relative, not the message itself). Jesus used the term "Kingdom of God" because that phrase evoked certain images in the minds and hearts of his listeners...images that are almost certainly NOT evoked in the minds and hearts of 21 Century Americans (or anyone else in the world for that matter). Here McLaren explores 6 metaphors that he sees as "have(ing) a lot of promise" for helping us to hear the message as the first listeners would have. In my opinion, what he comes up with here is brilliant.
Chapter 17: "The Peaceable Kingdom"--In this chapter, McLaren explores the theme of peace or Shalom in Jesus' message. He explores pacifism and "just war theory", giving plenty of room for different convictions, but asking challenging questions, none the less. This one will make you think.
Chapter 18: "The Borders of the Kingdom"--Here, McLaren explores the ideas of inclusion and exclusion. He advances the idea that it's inclusiveness is one of the main things that makes Jesus' message so revolutionary. Even so, Brian makes a point to also maintain that some exclusiveness is, in fact necessary (much to the surprise of his critics, I'm sure). He says:
"If the kingdom of God were a symphony, it would welcome anyone who had a desire to learn to play music--from tuba player to piccolo players, from violinists to percussionists. It would accept beginners and master musicians, probably by pairing up the novices with mentors who could help them to learn. But it could not welcome people who hated music or who wanted to shout and scream and disrupt rehearsals and concerts; that would ruin the music for everyone and destroy the symphony. True, it would try to influence music haters to become music lovers, but it couldn't accept them into the symphony until they wanted to be there because of a love of music."
Chapter 19: "The Future of The Kingdom"--In this chapter, McLaren explores what I have referred to elsewhere as a "restorationist eschatology". If that last sentence didn't make any sense to you, he's basically discussing what's commonly referred to as "end times" in many Christian circles. This however is not the philosophy of the "Left Behind" books. This is a Biblically based Eschatology of hope. It's a view in which God doesn't just give up on his dream for the world in Genesis 3, but rather sees God as working toward the "restoration" or "renewal" of "all things". In this view the project is actually going somewhere (other than oblivion). It also explores the idea that our afterlife consists not of disembodied bliss in a nonmaterial heaven, but rather a resurrected, embodied existence in a Re-newed Creation. If you've never explored these ideas before, I beg you to read this. It will give you hope like you've never known.
Chapter 20: "The Harvest of the Kingdom"--"But what about 'heaven'?" one might ask after reading the previous chapter. Here, McLaren explores that very Biblical idea as well and how it fits into the picture.
Chapter 21: "Seeing the Kingdom"--In this final chapter, McLaren explores what N.T. Wright refers to as the "already and not yet" aspect of the kingdom. In scripture, the Kingdom is referred to as both a present and future reality. Most of us don't have that hard of a time thinking of it as a future reality (though we aren't quite sure how it will get there). On the other hand, when we look around at the world we live in, we see so many things that are out of harmony with God's will and Jesus' message. McLaren maintains that there are many places where the kingdom is breaking through, if you know how to look for it, and explores how we can do exactly that. This chapter included a quote from Frederick Buechner that actually brought tears to my eyes.
The book ends with 3 short appendicies. Normally I wouldn't review appendicies, but these are quite good and worth mentioning.
Appendix 1: "The Prayer of the Kingdom"
Here McLaren explores "the Lord's Prayer". He mentioned it earlier in the book, but here he gives it a more thorough treatment by breaking it down and discussing what each part of it might mean (particularly given it's historical context). This is generally an excellent treatment, and quite valuable in the discussion.
Appendix 2: "Why Didn't We Get It Sooner?"
Here, McLaren anticipates a criticism and answers it. He notes that most of the scholars and theologians he has referenced are contemporary. He then recognizes that some might wonder if what he's proposing is actually in the text or if its being read into the text. If this has always "been there", then why is it noticably absent from much of the scholarship of church history. If this is true, then why does it seem so new to most of us. McLaren offers 8 factors that help to answer exactly these questions. One may anticipate a "cop-out" here, but that certainly isn't what he delivers. McLaren's 8 factors are quite thought provoking indeed, and not easily dismissed. I think it was very wise for him to address these issues here.
Appendix 3: "Plotting Goodness"
This is McLaren's "Now what?" chapter. If you buy this stuff, what can you do with it? He simply offers some suggestions for how you might proceed. These few pages are very practical and I hope that many take him up on them.
AE
460 of 499 people found the following review helpful.
McLaren helps us rediscover what Jesus really taught
By Michael P. Clawson
This book should finally lay to rest any complaints that Brian is too often vague and evasive in stating what exactly he does believe about the gospel. In this book he is crystal clear. Bottom line: it's about the kingdom of God.
Of course, that's not to say that Brian purports to answer every question or spell out a detailed systematic theology. Instead, rather true to form, he paints us a picture with broad strokes, giving us a new way to look at what Jesus and his gospel were all about. And he does it with a remarkable clarity and simplicity.
Indeed, the most surprising thing about this book is that it seems to have been written as much for non-Christian seekers as for fellow Christians. This is a book you could give to your "spiritual but not religious" friends who might be interested in learning more about Jesus. However, from the looks of some of the previous comments here, this quality seems to have already caused some people to misread and misunderstand Brian's words. For example, Brian does NOT say that he doesn't believe in demons or supernatural powers, but he does acknowledge that some of his non-Christian readers may have a hard time believing in such things, and thus he tries to cast his discussion of Jesus' encounters with demonic powers in terms that would make sense to skeptical people.
The title itself has to do with the idea that Jesus often concealed his message in parables and questions. Rarely does Jesus ever give a clear statement of what the gospel is all about. In fact, in Matthew 13:10-15 Jesus flat out admits that he is being deliberately unclear. Brian asks why would Jesus do such a thing? If doctrinal knowledge is so very important (at least according to evangelical theologies), then why couldn't Jesus have just spoken more clearly and told us everything we needed to know. Why did he speak in parables rather than in doctrinal statements? Why does the Bible contain letters and poems and stories rather than systematic theology?
What Brian suggests is that perhaps Jesus' purpose was not to simply impart knowledge. Instead maybe Christ's goal was to effect spiritual transformation in the lives of his hearers by inviting his hearers into an interactive relationship with himself; and maybe this goal is best achieved by means of parables and other similarly evocative forms of communicating.
But what is Jesus' secret message then? According to Brian, it comes down to the idea of the kingdom of God as a present, political, social, and personal reality. In other words, he focuses on the fact that Jesus didn't seem to talk about heaven as some place we go to after we die, but rather as a reality that we can begin to live in here and now ("the kingdom of God is among you!"). And perhaps by living in this reality (according to its ways and values) we can begin to transform the world in such a way as to bring a little bit more of heaven to earth.
In other words, Brian challenges the dominant evangelical theologies that make Christ's message all about how to get forgiveness for your sins so that you can go to heaven after you die, and instead gives us a bigger, fuller view of the gospel. This gospel certainly includes forgiveness for sins, and resurrection from the dead, but it goes so much more beyond that. The idea is that Jesus didn't only come to tell us how to die, he also came to show us how to live!
Brian puts it this way:
"What if Jesus' secret message reveals a secret plan? What if he didn't come to start a new religion - but rather came to start a political, social, religious, artistic, economic, intellectual, and spiritual revolution that would give birth to a new world?" (p. 4)
Brian spends the rest of the book describing this revolution and this new world. The book itself is divided into three main sections. The first, "Excavation: Digging Beneath the Surface to Uncover Jesus's Message", dives into the historical and especially the first century Jewish context of Jesus' message. To me it seems obvious that if we are to really understand what Jesus is all about we must first understand him through the eyes and ears of his original audience. What astounds me is that there are still some Christians (like some of the ones who have already posted reviews here) who see this approach as a threat to an "evangelical" understanding of scripture. But if we truly respect the Bible and desire to know what it's really saying, then wouldn't we want to look at it first through the lens of its historical and cultural context rather than through the lenses of our systematic theologies? After all, most of our current theologies, whether evangelical or liberal, were developed centuries later in response to very different questions than those that concerned Jesus and his followers.
As Brian uncovers this historical context of the message he shows how it has revolutionary political and social implications, both for Jesus' time and for ours. Not revolutionary in the sense that Jesus was trying to violently overthrow Rome and set up a new Jewish kingdom in its place, but revolutionary in that Jesus was calling people to live according to the values and practices of a new social order, and swear allegiance to a different Lord than Caesar. This is the thrust of the book's second section, "Engagement: Grappling with the Meaning of Jesus's Message", as Brian more fully explains the implications of Christ's message of a kingdom of sacrificial love, subtle subversion and radical inclusion.
The third and final section, "Imagination: Exploring How Jesus' Secret Message Could Change Everything", discusses the practical and personal implications by examining how this new understanding of Jesus transforms our understanding of social relationships, spiritual practices, as well as the dynamics of just war versus active peacemaking. But Brian wades into even more controversial subjects when he suggests that this new understanding of the gospel requires us to also rethink our traditional understandings of Heaven, Hell and the End Times as well as who is really "in" and "out" of the kingdom and what that means. Without getting too mired down by trying to explain what Brian says about all these topics, I will say that the picture he paints is a far more satisfying and biblically consistent view than many of the ones that I've encountered in the evangelical Protestantism I grew up with.
Of course, it shouldn't be assumed that much of what Brian writes is entirely his own creation. This entire book is really a popularization of the work of many respected biblical scholars and historians such as N.T. Wright, Walter Wink, Dallas Willard and C.S. Lewis among others. He is standing on the shoulders of others, but he putting their work in terms that are more accessible to the average lay person, and indeed, even to non-Christians.
And it's a message that needs to be heard. This understanding of Jesus' message certainly will change everything for those who embrace it. Many of the perplexing absurdities and dilemmas of evangelical theology simply disappear when seen through this lens; while at the same time one is still challenged by Jesus' message to reorient one's whole life according to this new kingdom lifestyle. This is a message that needs to be heard. Not Brian's message, but Jesus' message - Jesus true message, stripped of centuries of theological accumulations. This is more than just a new view of the gospel (i.e. new "theology", new abstract ideas). It's an invitation to a new kind of life. Jesus secret message is an invitation to live in the Way of the Kingdom. It's a message that the world desperately need.
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful.
Hungry and Thirsty
By Thomas C. Stewart
First let me say that I received an advance reader's copy of this book. I was asked by the publisher to write a review and post it on my blog and on Amazon.com. There was never any further requirements on what to say in this review.
Brian McLaren offers much to be discussed in The Secret Message of Jesus. The subtitle is "Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything".
Everyone loves to hear a secret. And for many the message of this book may come as a secret. It may be news to them. McLaren draws on a number of others' writings in this book. People like Dallas Willard, N.T. Wright, and others. I have read most but not all of McLaren's books and one of his strengths is taking the thoughts of others and putting them in ways that are easily understood. This book follows that trend in his writings.
If you don't want to know what the secret is then don't read any further, just go buy the book and read it.
The book is about the "Kingdom of God" as it is expressed in the Bible. Or equally it is about "Life to the Full" or "Real Life" or "Eternal Life". This was Jesus' favorite subject. He talked about this constantly. But as McLaren points out the Church has watered this down over the centuries.
The books starts out establishing the Jewish culture and political scene that Jesus was born and lived within. McLaren does his usual job of deconstructing the culture so that it is easily understood. This is something he has done in the past to help express an understanding of the current culture.
The book builds on this understanding to show that Jesus' message was not outside of the context which he lived. It further points out that the Kingdom, which he says would not be the analogy that Jesus would use today, is not just about atonement. That is that Jesus' message is not just about life after death. It has profound implications to the here and now.
The last few chapters of the book are ones that I found particularly thought provoking. In one of those chapters McLaren draws back to the beginning of the book, and the different Jewish sects that existed. He then shows how each of those had a distinct view of the "afterlife". Then he shows how that Jesus' message didn't fully fit into any of their concepts.
This book shows how radical Jesus' message was and is. It is radical and has deep implications for today and how followers of Jesus should live.
In a chapter titled "The Scandal of the Message" it is pointed out that Jesus sometimes makes easily misunderstood statements, "exposing his neck, so to speak, to those who will take the chance to slit it....His critics interpret his statements in the worst possible light and again, in their ugly response, show what they're made of and what drives them." I am sure that some will find fault with this book, maybe their reaction will show more of what they're made of than what the book is about.
The book contains three appendixes that deal with the Lord's Prayer, Why this understanding was not seen sooner and the third titled "Plotting Goodness". The book is worth the price of admission for these alone.
McLaren writes that this book is not meant to answer all your questions, but that he hopes it will make you hungry and thirsty for more. I think it will do just that.
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