In many Bibles, Christ's words are set apart with a red font. It should be obvious, but this distinction helps remind us that when God becomes Man and that Man speaks--it's probably something we cannot afford to miss.
So why doesn't the church take these " red letters" to heart? Why aren't we doing more to be Christ's hands and feet to the poor, the disenfranchised, the weary, the ill, the fatherless, the prisoners? It's all there--in red letters. Why has the Church shirked its responsibilities, leaving the work to be done by governments, rock stars, and celebrities?
The Gospel wasn't only meant to be read--it was meant to be lived. From the HIV crisis in Africa to a single abused and lonely child in Russia, the Church must seize the opportunity to serve with a radical, reckless abandon.
What if all Christ-followers lived the Red Letter words in the Bible--Jesus' words? What if we offered the hungry something to eat, gave one of our many coats to someone who was cold, and truly loved all our neighbors as ourselves? How radically different would our lives be? How different would our world be if Christians were really living as little Christs?
That's what this book is about. Learning to live a faith that is so real, you bleed Jesus. Author Tom Davis offers both challenge and encouragement to get involved in an increasingly interconnected, desperate modern world.
"I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." ~Matthew 25:42-43 ESV
Morgan and I recently finished this book. Parts of it were heart wrenching. Other parts were plain educational and inspiring. This unassuming little book has been the topic of many of our evening discussions. Needless to say, God is stirring something in us! We actually long to follow the “red letters” without changing them or interpreting them to suit our needs or our comfort level. However, our fear, apathy, and laziness can often get the best of us. This book will challenge you to look at the world differently. It will inspire you to do something, anything.
We have committed to prayerfully seeking what that might look like for our family going forward… Stay tuned!
As a follow up, the next book I’m planning to read is Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. Morgan and I are questioning, pondering and trying to see through this hazy American life that so easily blinds us to the real Jesus and our real purpose here on earth.
Here are some interesting quotes from the book that caught my eye…
“We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”
“My biggest fear, even now, is that I will hear Jesus’ words and walk away, content to settle for less than radical obedience to Him. ”
“God beckons storm clouds and they come. He tells the wind to blow and the rain to fall, and they obey immediately. He speaks to the mountains, ‘You go there,’ and He says to the seas, ‘You stop here, and they do it. Everything in all creation responds in obedience to the Creator…until we get to you and me. We have the audacity to look God in the face and say, ‘No.”
“Should it concern us that the bible never calls us to ask Jesus into our hearts. Should it concern us that the bible never mentions such a superstitious sinners prayer and yet that is exactly what we have sold to so many as salvation.”
Radical thinking? Maybe…
Radically living? Hope so!
can't wait to read it! It's next in my pile. . . .
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