Everything must change

From The view from here

Where do I begin to review this book? 

There are many who will not agree with some of McLaren's theology as hinted at in this book. But then again that goes without saying given the way some conservative evangelicals view him and the emerging church circles from which he comes. However, even if you don't agree with his theology, you might well be advised to put this book on your reading list because of the questions it raises and the challenge to engage with ideas about solutions it offers.

The two central questions are simply these:

What are the biggest problems the world is facing?

What does the message of Jesus have to say to these problems?

If the gospel really is good news, is it only good news about future heaven or does it have good news for present earth, might be another way of putting the question.

Some of the statistics presented are alarming to say the least. But the value of the book lies in the author's attempt to more closely connect the core message of Jesus, the kingdom of God, with solutions to our current, impending big issues. Instead of telling us that the earth stands condemned, is passing away, and is therefore of no real concern to us as Christians, he takes seriously the idea that we can make a difference now. More than that, that we should make a difference now because our message calls us to do just that.

For those who want to begin to think about how faith and issues come together, this is as good a place to start as there is. You may not like the conclusions, but I think there is real merit in the analysis.