Who will be a witness by Drew Hart. A Book Review

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A few months ago, in the middle of the lockdown during this COVID-19 pandemic, I became aware of a book study that was taken place with people from literally all over the world. They would be reading the book, “Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the way the Church views racism” by Drew Hart. Having talked to Drew a few times, and having a desire to read the book, I jumped at the chance to be in the book study. It was an incredible time of learning, growing, and having life changing and formational conversations with people all over the world

It was during this book study that I became aware that Drew was working on his next book “Who will be a witness?: Igniting Activism for God’s Justice, Love and Deliverance”. So when give an opportunity to become part of the book launch team, to read and review the book, I jumped at the chance.

You see one of the big reasons that I wanted to read and review this book is because of the questions that I was left with after reading his first book. The questions being: what now? what am I supposed to do? What next steps can I take in confronting racism in my own life and in the life of people around me? What practical, hands-on tools and ideas can I take and apply. What next?

After reading this book, I have some of those questions answered. Drew has provided me with some tools to put in my tool-belt (so to speak). Some next steps to take in my own life, and in working with the Veritas.

As I reflect back on the reading there are 5 chapters that stood out to me the most. First, chapter 2 and Drew’s insightful exploration into what he calls Liberating Barabbas. The faithful exegesis he does in this chapter confronts the way that many Christians read the story of Barabbas and the connection to Jesus death on the cross. As if the only way to read the story is that Jesus takes Barabbas’s place (and therefore our place).

Chapters 6, 7, and 8 gave me handles on ways to move forward to work for justice in the world, to confront my own brokenness, racism, and sin, and ideas on how to help the Veritas Community to partner together in the Kingdom work of racial justice. These chapters have stretched my imagination and challenged me to broaden my thinking and ideas on how to apply what I have been learning.

But probably the best chapter (and honestly the most surprising chapter in the entire book) is the last chapter, chapter 9 entitled “The Politics of Love” where Drew talks about the importance of the ethic of love in the work of being a witness to God’s justice, love and deliverance. He does an amazing job of calling Followers of Jesus to love people- even their enemies- as Christ calls us to. At times it is very easy to forget that our enemies aren’t against flesh and blood, but against the powers and the principalities. And Drew reminds us, that as we close the book, begin working for justice in the world, to not forget the most important tool in our tool belt, as people seeking to live and be like Jesus, is love. And that is probably the most challenging call of all.

Everywhere you look: Discovering the church right where you are- Book Review

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A few weeks ago I signed up to be a part of Tim Soren’s book launch team for his new book, Everywhere you look: Discovering the Church right where you are. The reason that I wanted to sign up and be a part of the book launch team (besides the opportunity to get a book out of the deal) is that I was really interested in what he was saying regarding the ability to see and discover the church right where you are..in your neighborhood, and not just in a building that you go to once a week to gather with people for an event. And instead, as he says, “to find the mega-church in your neighborhood”

One of the first things that struck me in the book was his story of talking with his kids about the importance of words. The words make worlds. And how the contemporary usage of the word church (going to church) conveys all the wrong things. And that he thought his kids to talk about going to the church building, or church gathering but not going to church, as that is a theological impossibility. I resonated with that strongly because I remember having the very same conversation with my kids when they were younger.

The second thing that struck me was the question “What is the church for?” So often we talk about what the church is (or what the church isn't) that at times we can fly right by the question of what is the church actually for (or what is the purpose of the church). I love the quote from Fleming Rutledge that gets at that question, “The calling of the church is to place itself where God is already at work.” And another statement that he made regarding the why of the church strikes at my heart and motivation behind what I do everyday. He says, “The church was never intended to be the why, and when we try to make it so, we lose every time.”

There is a lot more that is could say regarding this book. But I will say this, if you are ready to challenge your paradigms regarding church, that you are willing to be challenged to have your eyes open to the church that is “everywhere you look”, and interested in playing a role in the moving forward of God’s Kingdom right where you live, work and play, then pick up a copy of this book. I promise you, you’ll have new eyes to see the church in brand new ways.

Book Review: Not My Jesus by Bob Fabey

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The above video from the movie Talladega Nights is a comic look at how we make Jesus into our own image. While it is comic in this video, if we are honest with ourselves, each and everyone of us, in some way, seeks to make Jesus into our own image, instead of seeking to be made into the image and likeness of Jesus. Even just this week a writer put this out on Twitter.

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In the book “Not My Jesus” the author Bob Fabey seeks to get behind this concept of why we seek to make Jesus into our own image, instead of the other way around. He peels back the layers of the white, American, consumeristic, Jesus by taking us to the Scriptures to show us what Jesus was truly like. Which allows us to answer the question that Jesus is asking, “Who do you say that I am?” Farley, then says that once we truly understand who Jesus was and is, then we can begin to live a life, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that reflects this Jesus, and not the Jesus of our own making.

Probably the most poignant part of the book, for me, and super relevant for our time, is the chapter dealing with the importance of loving people, and not making them out as the “other”. When we make someone or a group of people, the “other” we can scapegoat them for all the world’s ills (then Nazi Germany and the Jews, and many modern day parallels), and once we have made them the “other” we can treat them in any way we want, and justly it in our minds. Farley puts it like this, “When people are The Other, they are less than.” But the Jesus of the Scriptures, the Word of God made flesh, has become “the other” for us and for all, so that we could be full of love, grace, compassion and mercy for all who are made in the image of God.

I would encourage you to read “Not My Jesus” so that it can help us confront how we have all made Jesus into our own image, and seek, through the power of the Holy Sprit, to flip it around so that we could be made more and more into his image and likeness.

(I was provided this book by the Speakeasy Book program free of charge for an honest review.)