Occasionally, I like to make a few "book club" selections. I think this one is very timely. Scripture tells us that perfect love casts out fear, and Jesus gave an example of being open and welcoming to everyone, especially those that are culturally different, ostracized, marginalized, or feared. In this book, William Willimon challenges the church to consider the gospel command to love rather than just tolerate the "other". Willimon's book is a timely reminder to us about our obligation to love as we have been loved by Christ, and offers concrete suggestions on how to do this without eliminating our own differences. Unfortunately some may see this book as a "liberal" bias, but it is rooted firmly in Jesus commands and examples (Matt 25). Willimon does not provide pat easy answers but instead opens up the dialogue on exactly how difficult it is to do this, and why it is that too often we allow fear to get the better of us. The book has discussion questions in the back and is great for small groups and Bible studies. It invites the readers or discussion groups to delve into the details, for example, how to balance welcome and openness with security at a church. The book also deals with evangelism and outreach. I do not believe this is a partisan book, it is an honest book that tackles a relevant issue of our time.
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