Crazy Love summary

Well, I finally finished reading Crazy Love and was almost glad to put it down because it was too convicting! To give you a radical view of this book, one would have to know the background of its author, Francis Chan. Here are some excerpts from his biography:

In 2002, a trip to Uganda changed Chan forever. There he saw real poverty, and it became personal. Little girls the age of his daughters rooted through dumpsters for food. Chan began to ask himself, What does it look like to love my neighbor as myself?

His answer was to move his family of four out of their 2,000-square-foot house into one half that size so they could give more to missions. "I couldn't reconcile how I could live in such a nice house while others were starving," Chan says.

Convicted by the verse to "love your neighbor as yourself," Chan showed up at the board meeting with an agenda. In the early years, Cornerstone gave away 4 percent of its budget. Chan asked them to give away 50 percent. Cuts in staff salaries and serious sacrifices in programs would have to be made, but it only took a half hour for the board to agree.

As their church continued to grow, the elders researched a solution and laid the plans on the table for Chan to see. "This is repulsive!" said Chan, who later regretted his outburst. "When I saw all the buildings, it was just so hard to stomach. The price tag on it was 50 to 60 million dollars. It looked like a mall."

Chan didn't want any part of it. "I kept thinking about all those people I'd seen in third world countries and it made me sick."

Chan thought he knew what Jesus would do. He'd say, "Meet me at the park." That was what Chan wanted. Just a patch of grass where the church could gather.

The solution was an outdoor amphi-theater, a simple structure enjoyed by the community during the week and used as a gathering place for worship on Sunday. The plan would save tens of millions of dollars. Even the elders got behind the idea.

If it rained, they'd get wet knowing their money was feeding the hungry.

So you can imagined that in this book Chan is challenging believers to grow out of their comfort zone and take the verse "love your neighbor as yourself" literally by spending as much on our neighbors as ourselves. Here are some of his definitions of a Lukewarm Christian:

* Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church...as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?

*Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives.

*Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His followers.

*Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, and their thoughts, but He isn't allowed to control their lives.

*Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today's to-do list, this week's schedule, and next month's vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come.

*Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens, they have their savings acount. They don't need God to help them, they have their retirement plan in place. They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live, they have life figured out and mapped out. They don't depend on God on a daily basis, their refrigerators are full, and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.

*Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren't very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong.

Here are some other excerpts from the book that got me:

I think sometimes we assume that if we are nice, people will know that we are Christians and want to know more about Jesus. But it really doesn't work that way. I know a lot of people who don't know Christ and are really nice people--nicer and more fun to be with, in fact, than a lot of Christians I know. There has to be more to our faith than friendliness, politeness, and even kindness. Jesus teaches in Luke 6:32-36 :

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."

True love is loving a person after he has hurt you. True love makes you stand out.

Here Chan talks about risk takers:

Haven't we all prayed the following prayer? Lord, we pray for safety as we travel. We ask that no gets hurt on this trip. Please keep everyone safe until we return, and bring us back safely. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. The exact wording may vary a bit, but that is the standard prayer we recite before leaving on mission trips, retreats, vacation, and business trips. We are consumed by safety. Obsessed with it actually. Now, I'm not saying it is wrong to pray for God's protection, but I am questioning how we've made safety our highest priority. We've elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God's best is, whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purposes in our lives and in the world. Would you be willing to pray this prayer? God bring me closer to You during this trip...whatever it takes!

Did I mention this was a radical book written by a radical author! It was one of these no pain, no gain books! I am not advocating that we all go out and down size our homes to give away to charity or stop praying protection for our loved ones. BUT, I think Chan did convict me in the areas that counted the most. What am doing with my life to glorify Christ and if He was to come back at this exact moment in time. Would He be pleased with how I'm living my life? Would He be pleased that I'm spending my time blogging about this book? As much as I love my family and friends, is my prayer for their comfort or for their growth in their relationship with Christ? My 2,500 square feet house is a mansion by third world standards but am I using the house to bring glory to Him? As much time as I spend on the computer, have I spent as much or a fraction of my time with Him during my day? These are gulping questions I have to swallow but I am determined that God did not let me read this book in vain and leave it on the shelf but to share with people I know who have the same passion for The ONE who is most passionate about us! I has been refreshing to read about a pastor who is KUH KRAY ZEE about his love for Jesus that he would take such a radical stance! Don't know how many ways I can describe him other than RADICAL for Christ! I hope this post will give you a thirst for your relationship with Christ and you would take the time to check out this book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan.