“It’s crazy…The God of the universe -the Creator of nitrogen
and pine needles, galaxies, and E-minor- loves us with a radical,
unconditional, self-sacrificing love.
And what is our typical response?
We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss.” Even from the back cover, Francis Chan challenges us to think
differently about what it means to be a Christian.
As a rule, I stay away from books that purpose to induce guilt, convict, etc., not because those are always bad things, but because I find that I rarely grow closer to Christ that way. When I came across “Crazy Love,” I warily eyed it up a few times, gave it the evil eye, put it back, and finally read a friend’s copy years after it came out. And I’m SO glad I did. This book is now on my very short stack of life-altering, must-keep books.
As a rule, I stay away from books that purpose to induce guilt, convict, etc., not because those are always bad things, but because I find that I rarely grow closer to Christ that way. When I came across “Crazy Love,” I warily eyed it up a few times, gave it the evil eye, put it back, and finally read a friend’s copy years after it came out. And I’m SO glad I did. This book is now on my very short stack of life-altering, must-keep books.
Chan’s main points center around two things: true understanding of God’s love for us and what
to do about it. “Crazy Love” does not
list a bunch of rules, tell you what you should do, or make you feel bad about your past choices. What it does do is
inspire you to fall in love with a God whom loves us in undefinable, absurd-to-the-point-of-preposterous
ways. That inspiration and love give way to the question, “What does it actually mean to love God?” Throughout
several chapters, Chan discusses our reaction to God’s love, profiles people that loved God so much they did anything He asked, and
encourages a genuine and honest relationship with God. And Chan isn’t kidding
around. In an effort to live a Christ-like life, he sold his nice home and
bought one half the size, cut his church’s building cost from 20 million to 10
and gave the rest away, and every week gives over half of his church’s income
to the poor.
What I love about this book the most: it is an open and honest confession from someone that is weary of mediocre Christianity (in his own life, too), and his emphasis on love -understanding God's love for us, what it means to love God, and the many ways we can love other people. Chan quotes Annie Dillard at the end who says, "How we live our days is...how we live our lives." It is now a constant reminder to me every day to pay attention to what I'm giving my time to, and also to keep at the forefront of my mind how I can love other people that day.
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
What I love about this book the most: it is an open and honest confession from someone that is weary of mediocre Christianity (in his own life, too), and his emphasis on love -understanding God's love for us, what it means to love God, and the many ways we can love other people. Chan quotes Annie Dillard at the end who says, "How we live our days is...how we live our lives." It is now a constant reminder to me every day to pay attention to what I'm giving my time to, and also to keep at the forefront of my mind how I can love other people that day.
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
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