Wilson L. Deaton
28th April 2006, 11:58 AM (11:58)
Sweet writes in such a way that you have to work to get at what he is trying to say--very abstract and metaphorical. I suppose he does that on purpose.
In the early parts of the book he lays in some background materials before launching into the main part of the book. He discusses some cultural issues and while doing so lives up to his reputation of making controversial, but all too true, statements. For example, “When outsiders look at the ‘lifestyle choices’ of Christians, who spend their lives sitting in the same pews, singing the same old songs, reciting the same words, smiling at the same people, listening to the same thoughts, and building bigger barns that all look the same, they scratch their heads in wonderment that anyone in her right mind would choose that kind of ‘life.’”
One of the interesting ideas he deals with is the expression, “the Kingdom of God.” He says we don’t seem to understand it and that it really doesn’t relate well to our culture anyway…. He eventually moves on the point that Jesus preached the Kingdom while the apostles and early church preached Jesus. How to reconcile the two? Jesus is the Kingdom. He redefines “The Kingdom of God” to mean, “The Presence of God” in this world. For the rest of the book he refers to, “The Presence.”
Eventually he gets around to the title, “The Three Hardest Words (in the World to Get Right).” The three words are, “I love you.”
There follows lengthy chapters on, “I,” “Love,” and, “You.”
Personally, I liked the “Love Chapter” best, followed by the “You Chapter.” (It’s probably just me, but the “I Chapter” seemed like too much psychobabble about our identity, etc.)
Overall, the book’s concept of love and relationships will challenge you and I would recommend the book. However, I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is “must reading.” I suspect it is the kind of book that will be more appreciated after a second of third reading so perhaps this review is premature on my part.
Wilson
In the early parts of the book he lays in some background materials before launching into the main part of the book. He discusses some cultural issues and while doing so lives up to his reputation of making controversial, but all too true, statements. For example, “When outsiders look at the ‘lifestyle choices’ of Christians, who spend their lives sitting in the same pews, singing the same old songs, reciting the same words, smiling at the same people, listening to the same thoughts, and building bigger barns that all look the same, they scratch their heads in wonderment that anyone in her right mind would choose that kind of ‘life.’”
One of the interesting ideas he deals with is the expression, “the Kingdom of God.” He says we don’t seem to understand it and that it really doesn’t relate well to our culture anyway…. He eventually moves on the point that Jesus preached the Kingdom while the apostles and early church preached Jesus. How to reconcile the two? Jesus is the Kingdom. He redefines “The Kingdom of God” to mean, “The Presence of God” in this world. For the rest of the book he refers to, “The Presence.”
Eventually he gets around to the title, “The Three Hardest Words (in the World to Get Right).” The three words are, “I love you.”
There follows lengthy chapters on, “I,” “Love,” and, “You.”
Personally, I liked the “Love Chapter” best, followed by the “You Chapter.” (It’s probably just me, but the “I Chapter” seemed like too much psychobabble about our identity, etc.)
Overall, the book’s concept of love and relationships will challenge you and I would recommend the book. However, I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is “must reading.” I suspect it is the kind of book that will be more appreciated after a second of third reading so perhaps this review is premature on my part.
Wilson