I first was introduced to Francis Chan at the Youth Specialties Conference in Nashville, TN in 2008. In front of thousands of youth leaders, he spoke about how he read the Bible and was disturbed by the things in it, because they didn't match up with what he saw in most American churches. He said that something was wrong with Christianity in America, and that merely "checking out" was not an option. He talked about how the people in his church were committed to one another and to counter-culturally following Jesus. He inspired me.
At the suggestion of my friend Joe, I read Chan's first book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. I eagerly started it, hoping to be further inspired; however, I finished it a little disappointed. The first section of the book reads like a devotional, instilling into the reader the importance of falling crazily in love with God. While I understood why Chan began his book about radical Christian action with a proper understanding of God, it felt a little disconnected from the rest of the book. The following chapters are about practically serving God out of the overflow of that crazy love. The latter part was my preferred, but overall, I was left unimpressed by the book. There were, however, parts that really resonated with me, like the following:
The goal of American Christianity is often a nice marriage, children that don't swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involved suffering.
The final part of the book is a list of people who have radically given their lives to the sake of the kingdom of God, much like the list of organizations and ordinary radicals at the end of Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution.
I really appreciated Chan's passion in this book and the idea that before you can serve God well, you need to learn how to love him. I agree with his argument that true service flows out of worship, not an obligated sense of duty. However, the book didn't hold my attention or captivate me as it has seemed to do others. I kept reading out of discipline to finish it, hoping for a final "ah hah" moment where it would all connect, and I would be blown away. However, with each ensuing chapter, I was a little more disappointed.
To be fair, writing isn't the author's strong suit. As my friend Jesse wrote, Chan's not a writer. He's a speaker. If you've ever heard him preach, you know this to be the case -- he has a profound ability to speak to the soul and spiritually engage his listeners. It is moving to hear Francis Chan speak, and maybe that's why so many enjoyed Crazy Love -- because they already had knowledge of his speaking ministry. As someone who didn't love the book, I am clearly in the minority of those who read it (out of 94 Amazon reviews, 80 gave it five stars). Popular Christian book reviewer and blogger Tim Challies raved about the Chan's good use of Scripture and his simple yet profound theological message:
Too many of us are living too safely and too easily. But for the brief moments we spend at church each week, we are practically indistinguishable from the unbelievers around us. This is not the way it is meant to be. The church could use a loving exhortation and Chan delivers well.
Ironically, Challies' least favorite part was my most favorite part -- the practical section where Chan lists those who have passionately chased after Jesus and served him with reckless abandon.
For me, a good Christian book is more than great theology; it needs to tell a story or move the spirit or cause the reader to empathize with what is being evoked by the author. I realize that this may be simply personal taste, but as I read Crazy Love, there was much left wanting in these areas.
Of course, Crazy Love is more than a book; it's an interactive experience. With complementary video blogs that Chan has posted to the Crazy Love website, he further explores the theme of each chapter and provides ample opportunities for conversation and group study. I watched a few of them but stopped doing so about halfway through. Maybe I'm just "old school," but a book should be able to stand on its own without multimedia to back it up.
I have no doubt that this message will serve the church in wonderful ways for many years to come. I have tremendous respect for Chan and his ministry, but if you're looking for a great book to read, Crazy Love may not be it. At least, it wasn't for me.
What did you think of Crazy Love? Does a great book need to be written well or just have a great message?
I never understood Picasso until I visited his home museum in Barcelona. I saw that he was an accomplished painter by the age of 13, that he was matching the talent of his peers by 16, and that by 19 he was so good as an artist that he quickly became bored with painting things how they appeared.