Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan
I've got my friend Benjamin to thank for referring this awesome book to me! Wow, what a read. It's more than a "read," actually. If you let this one go in (and I'm gonna have to read it again to get even some of it to go in) this one will change your life. Check out this quote from page 62:
If someone asked you what the greatest good on the earth is, what would you say? An epic surf session? Financial security? Health? Meaningful, trusting friendships? Intimacy with your spouse? Knowing that you belong? The greatest good on this earth is God. Period. God's one goal for us is Himself.
The Good News -- the best news in the world, in fact--is that you can have God Himself. Do you believe that God is the greatest thing you can experience in the whole world? Do you believe that the Good News is not merely the forgiveness of sins, the guarantee that you won't go to hell, or the promise of life in heaven?
The best things in life are gifts from the One who steadfastly loves us. But an important question to ask ourselves is this: Are we in love with God or just His stuff?Ouch! But this book is not just lovey-dovey stuff. No way> You've got chapter titles such as Profile of the Lukewarm, Serving Leftovers to a Holy God, and Your Best Life...Later. (I love this last one the most!)
The books turns from a challenging curtain call on our mediocre love dramas to an all out invitation to become obsessed with God! That's right...obsessed.
But I wish Chan would have just stopped there, and let it be all about good feelings of love and flowers and stuff. You know.. walks-in-the-park-with-God sort of love. But he doesn't stop there. He has to take us further -- to a Calvery shaped love. He tells the story of the Amish school shooting in 2006 in Lancaster, where crazy love took hold the day after the shooting and Amish people from the community "visited the shooter's family to say they had forgiven them." Forgiven them?! For shooting their children!??! What?!? I put the book down after that...
for a while...
didn't touch it...
couldn't...
A few days later I caught my breath and found the strength to consider it... and not just read it, to try and let the thoughts of love really go in a little more. And I read:
"That sort of forgiveness is incomprehensible to the world; because of it, people have even accused the families of being bad parents, or not dealing properly with their anger, or living in denial."
and...
"It is just this sort of love that is crazy to the world: true love, a kind found nowhere but through Christ."
Crazy Love indeed. That's our Lord!
He died for our sins -- CRAZY!
He asked God to forgive those who killed Him -- CRAZY!
He told His followers they would do even greater (love) things -- CRAZY!
[side note: Gregory Boyd would add an application exercise to this chapter in Chan's book that simply goes like this: "Ask God to bring to mind the person or persons whom you think have hurt you most...now forgive them. Now do it again tomorrow. And the next day."]
Chan wraps it up with some profiles of crazy lovers of God, including Rich Mullins, Rachel Saint, and Shane Clainborne, to name a few. But all the descriptions of these lives are ... well... crazy. How could they really live this way? Give this much? Trust so greatly? Love with such abandonment? I have to say it can only be by God's Holy Spirit. And that's why I just bought the sequal to Crazy Love: Forgotten God.
Judging by the description on the back, my guess is one cannot really grasp Crazy Love without taking hold of Chan's followup.
Product Description
A follow up to the profound message of Crazy Love, Pastor Francis Chan offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and … the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of all three, but how often do we live with an awareness of only the first two? As Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit—the Helper—so that we could be true and living witnesses for Christ. Unfortunately, today’s church has admired the gift but neglected to open it.
Breakthrough author Francis Chan rips away paper and bows to get at the true source of the church’s power—the Holy Spirit. Chan contends that we’ve ignored the Spirit for far too long, and we are reaping the disastrous results. Thorough scriptural support and compelling narrative form Chan’s invitation to stop and remember the One we’ve forgotten, the Spirit of the living God.
So I'm excited! Probably going to be just as challenging as Crazy Love. There's no grasping God's love or His Spirit. But at least we can open our hands wide with palms up and pray -- "God give us your love and your power and your ways -- for they are greater than ours on any day."
Perhaps then our days will be a little more filled with some crazy love.
6 comments:
Oh, now this is cool. Nathan just came in and asked me what I was reading. So I read him the story about the Amish community and their crazy love. He just looked at me in wonder... as I paused to let that sink in. Then (because the boys have been playing super heroes a lot lately) God gave me this to say to him: "Nathan, do you see how Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the only real super heroes, and their power is the power of love?" He whispered back... "yes. I see that..." We talked a little more about it.
Thank you God. That was such a sweet gift!
I am so glad you got to read it. It helped change my mind on God along with many other writers. The glory goes to the God who is worthy of awe.My other suggested read for you along with that book is Hudson Taylor's "Union and Communion"
Oh. You are talking about "Forgotten God" in the last paragraph. It was very good too!
Thx. I'll take a look at that Hudson Taylor book. Description looks really good, esp. "was known for his sensitivity to Chinese culture and zeal for evangelism. He adopted wearing native Chinese clothing even though this was rare among missionaries of that time." Gotta love a guy like that!
Yes, "Forgotten God" is great so far!
When I first got the book I thought what a great idea a book that talks about what it means to truly love God. When I started reading it I thought I might not be ready for this kind of life changing love. To many times in my own life I have given God leftovers like a begrudging tithe, a quick impersonal prayer, maybe even sing a praise song. Was it my best? Was it even much of an effort at all? Sometimes. When I finished "Crazy Love" I felt it sharpen my focus and lead to a better understanding and perspective. Because that's what really happens to us we loose perspective. The perspective that God brings through Chan is sharp, decisive and powerful. I can't count how many times I had to stop reading to praise God and consider what was just said. I praise God for the revelation and know this book will bless you beyond measure.
Brasil, you're so right there. I also have had to stop reading to praise God and consider what was just said! So true. And our God is a great and wonderful God -- the originator of that crazy love!
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