“The Hole in Our Gospel,” by Richard Stearns

I recently received a copy of The Hole in Our Gospel, by Richard Stearns, from the publishers. Y’all, this book is phenomenal. I’m not exaggerating.

Richard Stearns is the President of World Vision U.S., and the book tells of his journey from being a big-time CEO of a luxury goods corporation to being the head of an organization that works to combat poverty throughout the world. His experience of the transition in his life is powerful to read about, and while my own experiences are not nearly as extreme, I can relate to the thoughts he has had as he has encountered the reality of poverty and suffering in our world.

Essentially, he writes that there is a “hole” in our gospel. He asserts that while we – as followers of Jesus Christ – are willing to do many of the things He calls us to, we act as though His commands to care for the poor and suffering, the orphans and widows, are simply missing. We conveniently adhere only to the easy parts of the gospel, while callously distancing ourselves from one of the most important things we can do. The Christian church today has access to more resources than it has at any point in history, and the author challenges us to think about how future generations will remember us. Were we the church that stood up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, or did we blindly insulate ourselves from the pain in the world and leave the world no better than we found it?

It’s something to think about, and if you do, it could mess you up (in the wonderful way it has me).