My most recent, finished, reads span a rather intriguing theme. A theme that God wants us all to love all of God’s people, regardless of how our world views them.
Your God is Too Small, would not be a find that I would initially grab. It was a required book for some coursework that I am taking on this academic year. It is an older book, some fifty years old in publication, which makes the language sometimes a bit rough. However, the ideas and explorations of how people have come to commonly view God and thus pegs God into some limited form makes this a totally relevant read for today. Philips offers up a larger view of God which is much more expansive than the images we have absorbed in past years. This more expansive view breaks down these older images and how they inform and limit our living a faithful life.
Everybody Always. Bob Goff is an infectious spirit in the most blessed ways. This is his second book, Love Does being the first, and the premise is simple. If we were to live as Jesus lived then we would love “everybody always”, without reservation and without question. Throughout the book he shares stories within his life how he has sought to live out this guiding principle. They are amazing and hopefilled stories. I heard some of these stories years ago and it was equally inspiring to read through them with his voice telling me again. One cannot leave this book without feeling a little more courage and inspiration to put love of everybody always as your guiding principle as well.
Living Gently in a Violent World. This one I picked up on kindle book deal. It also was not a large read. The authors of the book are Stanley Hauerwas (a prominent theologian, now retired from day to day academia) and Jean Vanier, who is the orginal creator of L’Arche Communities. I first became aware of L’Arche when diving into my readings by Henri Nouwen. The form of the book is the written transcripts of a few talks by the two men, answering the question of ‘What does L’Arche have to say to the world and the church?’ For those not familiar, L’Arche Communities are places where adults with special needs live life with others who do not. It has been in practice for over 30 years and has expanded around the globe. Jean Vanier’s talks were my favorite part. He speaks with a kindness that is super evident. Hauerwas’ second talk/chapter had me lost as I could not track his academic defense of what he said was not academically defendable.. (I think that is right.) One thing is certain, after reading through this you come away with a huge appreciation for the place which people who have special needs hold in God’s Kingdom. And, should we see them more for their abilities, connection, and awareness to the human world, then we would all be living in a much more peaceful world.
So we take an expansive view of God and really examine our the images that have consituted our limiting of God, and ultimately ourselves. Position ourselves with a guiding prinicple of loving everybody, always.. always. At this point our understandings of God and Christ’s work in the world may help us to see past more of the standards and systems which keep us from fulling living. Taking a paradigm shift view of people with a disablity in this world and seeing them for what unique quality they fill the world with. All these together will re-shape your world and the world around you, one relationship at a time.
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