Book Report: Crazy Love

I have had the opportunity to read several books the past couple months and thought I'd share some insights in a more regular post entitled 'Book Report'- creative, hunh?!? I'll start with Crazy Love by Francis Chan. This has been one of the more talked about books from the Christian community in quite some time. Anytime the high school students at my church are read the same book that my mom is read (the students read it last summer; my mom this past fall), I'm always curious. I’ve always enjoyed and perhaps more importantly respected Chan as someone of integrity, who lives out his convictions and challenges us to do the same. At a time when builing bigger churches was a sort of spiritual arms race, Chan's flock decided to build a significantly cheaper outdoor ampitheater that would serve their people without a humongous mortgage or facility budget. The pieces that stuck with me the most included his statements on people who are obsessed with Jesus. On Pages 132 and following he writes that people who are obsessed with Jesus . . . • Give freely and openly without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back. • Aren’t consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God’s kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress. • Are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected of fulfilling the status quo. Obsessed people will do things that don’t always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth. • Knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be “humble enough”, and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known. • Do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving his people. • Are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world. • Have an intimate relationship with him. They are nourished by God’s word throughout the day because they know that forty minutes on Sunday is not enough to sustain them for a whole week, especially when they will encounter so many distractions and alternative messages. • Is more concerned with his or her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn’t depend on circumstances or environment; it is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God.