Much thanks to Thomas Nelson for this review copy:
The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? the Answer That Changed My Life and Might Just Change the World by Richard Stearns
An Overview:
Richard Stearns, president of World Vision U.S. since June 1998, reminds us that “Embracing the gospel, or good news, proclaimed by Jesus is so much more than a private transaction between God and us” (p. 2). And in seeking to correct our perception of the Kingdom of God, Stearns writes: “It was not meant to be a way to leaven the world but rather the means to actually redeem it” (p. 17).
There are five parts to this book: Part 1: The Hole in My Gospel—And Maybe Yours; Part 2: The Hole Gets Deeper; Part 3: A Hole In The World; Part 4: A Hole In The Church; Part 5: Repairing The Hole. And each part is further developed under several subheadings.
Mr. Stearns weaves many painful and yet inspirational personal stories throughout the book. These stories are taken from his own life (from giving up a successful career in the business world, and after much resistance, to finally becoming the president of World Vision) and from the lives of those World Vision has implacted globally (for example, Lida—a talented seamstress for Armenia, a country still recovering economically from years under Soviet rule—who after receiving a few loans from World Vision, was able to start and grow her business to the point of employing several others).
An Endorsement:
“Read this compelling story and urgent call for change-Richard Stearns is a contemporary Amos crying ‘let justice roll down like waters….’ Justice is a serious gospel-prophetic mandate. Far too many American Christians for too long a time have left the cause to ‘others.’ Read it as an altar call.” —Eugene H. Peterson, translator of The Message.
While reading this book, I slowly and painfully discovered that there was a hole in my gospel as well: “The gospel itself was born of God’s vision of a changed people, challenging and transforming the prevailing values and practices of our world” (p. 2).
Like so many others, I, too, needed to recover the full gospel of the Kingdom. This book helped.
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