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The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor

Seeing Others Through the Eyes of Jesus

by Mark Labberton

Jesus didn’t see a sick woman, he saw a daughter of God. He didn’t see an outcast from society, he saw a child of Israel. He didn’t see a sinner, he saw a person in the image of the Creator.

Are we able to see others with the eyes of Jesus?

Seeing rightly is the beginning of renewal, forgiveness, healing and grace. Seeing rightly, says Mark Labberton, is the beginning of how our hearts are changed. Through careful self-examination in the Spirit, we begin to bear the fruit of love toward others that can make a difference. Here is a chance to reflect on why our ordinary hearts can be complacent about the evils in the world and how we can begin to see the world like Jesus.

With each chapter broken into brief segments punctuated by questions, this book is ideal for both personal reflection and group discussion.

See what happens when you take a chance on the dangerous act of loving your neighbor. Your vision might just be changed forever.

2010

Recommendations

Labberton’s latest sports a provocative title, much on the order of his earlier work, The Dangerous Act of Worship (2007). But this one seems to deviate from its suggested intent, offering only a few anecdotes involving personal encounters with immediate neighbors. Many more examples relate to oppression and injustice being done to “neighbors” in a much larger global community, and in some ways, this makes the act of loving seem somewhat remote. At points, the book also veers away from its suggested Jesus-specific vision, citing several passages from the Old Testament. Even so, each chapter provides specific exercises containing truly insightful questions. It is these structured inquiries that are most likely to provoke readers to examine personal perceptions as well as behaviors and passive indifference that can lead to oppression and injustice. Operating as a workbook for personal growth, this may very well help promote change for a better world.
Susan DeGrane

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