Crazy Love

December 2, 2013
How should one love God? For believers, this is an important question. Many Christians demonstrate their love through Sunday church outings. However, pastor Francis Chan feels there's something missing in such uniform displays of piety, most of which ring hollow to him. Here, Chan offers another way to revere God and looks into his own past to determine from where religious uncertainties originate. As a reader, Chan turns in serviceable performance. He sounds conversational and approachable, and his narration is clear. Yet, his reading is languidâand this undermines the power of his book. Unfortunately for listeners, Chan's reading fails to convey any of the book's zeal or its author's enthusiasm. A David C. Cook paperback.

March 10, 2008
Chan, senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, Calif., offers a radical call for evangelicals to consider and emulate in this debut guide to living “crazy” for God. Chan’s own life compels him to live with urgency, and with good reason. His mother died giving birth to him, his stepmother died when he was nine, and his dad when he was 12. As a pastor, Chan says that conducting weekly funerals for people younger than himself has likewise sobered him to life’s unexpectedness and frailty. Chan writes with infectious exuberance, challenging Christians to take the Bible seriously. He describes at length the sorry state of “lukewarm” Christians who strive for a life characterized by control, safety and an absence of suffering. In stark contrast, the book offers real-life accounts of believers who have given all—time, money, health, even their lives—in obedience to Christ’s call.Chan also recounts his own attempts to live “crazy” by significantly downsizing his home and giving away his resources to the poor.Earnest Christians will find valuable take-home lessons from Chan’s excellent book.