Crazy Love contains a lot of good content about God’s awesomeness and his great love for us. Chan also writes about our response to God which often lacks the enthusiasm you would expect given God’s initiatives toward us. The book has a good message, however, I was concerned about the tone of the book. I’ve never heard the author, Francis Chan, speak but I did wonder if the book is taken from his sermons since it has the sound of a preacher, rather than a writer.
People who enjoy Francis Chan’s preaching would probably enjoy the book as I imagine they would hear his voice in the words and know that his heart is for them, to encourage them and motivate them. However, I found myself trying to avoid a guilt trip and a fear of God’s punishment, even though, this wasn’t Chan’s intention. Well over halfway through the book, he writes, “My fear in writing the previous chapter (about lukewarm Christians) is that it only evokes in you fear and guilt. Personal experience has taught me that actions driven by fear and guilt are not an antidote to lukewarm, selfish, comfortable living. I hope you realize instead that the answer is love.” This was helpful, but he had lost my engagement by the time I read this.
Another problem was that Chan encourages his reader to watch the video clips on his website. I found this a difficult request as I don’t like watching videos. Plus, I didn’t have the opportunity to watch these until after I’d finished the book. This was unfortunate since Chan comes across more empathically in the videos than he does in the book.
Overall, good subject matter but not a writing style I enjoy.
Book Review : Crazy Love
