Bob
Roberts Jr. offers a challenge to the believers in Christ. In Bold as Love,
Roberts confronts us - the American Christian - with the simple fact that we do
not get to pick and choose our neighbors. We are not called to love only the
poor, or only the people in our demographic and our subdivision. When Jesus was
asked the question, "Who is my neighbor," he responded with a parable
that specifically pointed to a man from another region, another nation, and
another faith.
"The world we minister to is very much like the
world Paul ministered to. The point is, we needn't scratch our head and wonder
what in the world we're going to do in this new world. God has given us not
only the strength of his Holy Spirit but the wisdom to be found in the
Scriptures. The message of the New Testament and the example of the church's
first missionaries (especially Paul) can be so helpful for us today." (p 16)
This short paragraph really is the heart of Bob Roberts' message. We DO live in
a world filled with people and religions from all over the globe. We are as
likely to work with a person of the Muslim faith as we are to work with a
fellow church member from the local Baptist church. And the Bible does call us
to be salt and light to everyone. To love as Christ loved. To share the truth
of the cross with everyone in love. That means reaching out and offering
genuine friendship and love to people of different faiths. That means being so
grounded in the truth of God's Word that we can share ourselves without
compromising the truth.
As Roberts notes, "we can only love those we
know personally." Bold as Love is a call to action for the Christian. It
is a call to step out in faith and obedience to build relationships with those
of other faiths. We live in a time and a place where the opportunity to rub
shoulders with people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs is like no other in
history. The true call on the Christian, Roberts asserts, is not to retreat and
build walls, but to break through those walls in boldness. We are compelled by
love to build relationships with everyone, not just those of our choosing.
Without love, without reaching out to others and forming relationships, the
Gospel will never go out to the lost in our world.
While I found the message a bit repetitive at times, I did enjoy the book. I
would recommend sharing it with anyone who needs a reminder that a Christian’s
mission field is in our streets, and neighborhoods as much as on the other side
of the world.
I received an advance copy for review from Handlebar Marketing.
