Crazy Love: Preface

Chan, like any great author, grabbed my attention with the first line of his text. And he can't truly take the credit. Chan introduces the thesis of his book with a quote made by Francois Fenelon in The Seeking Heart, "To just read the Bible, attend church, & avoid "big" sins--is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?" Great question--a question that drives home: is my love for God defined by such temporal things & limited to ministry without purpose?

Chan continues his presentation by reading my mind. Literally. He voices the thoughts & concerns I've had for years. The Americanized Christianity that I witness everyday can't be the same faith that the disciples & early church gave their lives for. We modern Christians are faithless & selfish beings. Somewhere in the last two millennia, we've lost focus & crammed a mighty, infinite God into a genie bottle that we pull out on weekends or during tough times.

New York Times' bestseller list tells me that Chan hit the nail on the head when he wrote Crazy Love, but somehow I feel that God led Chan to write this book just for me. I do "want more Jesus." I am bored with selfish, American Christianity. I don't want to plateau & I do believe I would die before I forsake my God-given convictions (21). If New York Times is right & Chan's book is what our society needs, then why haven't we seen a radical change since the book was published in 2008? Because we have yet to truly start Living Crazy Love.

Chan states that "The core problem isn't the fact that we're lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is why we are this way, & it is because we have an inaccurate view of God" (22). Did you catch that? While we can be classified as halfhearted, lukewarm, stagnant Christians, we don't need more vitality, zeal, & commotion. We do need a proper view of God. Chan isn't saying that Christians aren't falling into those categories (at least, I don't think he is), he is pointing out the root problem of those characteristics: an improper view of Christ. And I agree. And yet, I am guilty.  Remember, "God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He's great & deserves to be the center of our lives. . . . He commands everything from His followers" (22). Christ didn't save me because I was going to be some great benefit to his plan, but the mentality that God needs me is exactly the mindset that has gotten American Christianity where it is today: nowhere.

You & I have a choice to make & I can't say it any better than Chan. Our choice is "to adjust how you live daily or to stay the same" (23). For me, staying the same just isn't an option. What about you?