This is seriously one of my favorite topics I've written on thus far. Here’s my one piece of advice before I dive in to the book: take risks, because who knows maybe you’ll end up on Bob Goff’s launch team for his new book and talk on the phone with him.
Bob Goff easily goes on my list of great men in the world. I’m going to tell you multiple times to read this book, but before you read Everybody, Always, read Love Does. The two books don’t necessarily follow the same story, but reading Love Does helps establish a lot of Bob’s personality and his journey to Christ that isn’t mentioned as much in Everybody, Always, at least from what I can tell. Give me a break; I only have 5 chapters to work with. Also, every cent made from Love Does is donated, so there’s literally nothing bad that can come from buying it.
The biggest spoiler that I’m going to release, is if you follow Bob on social media, or if you were in Baylor Chapel a few weeks ago when he spoke, you probably know some of what this book is about.
Now, the book. Wow. I called Bob when I finished the 5 chapters just to tell him that. Based on the title, you can probably infer what this book is about, and you would be correct. Loving everybody, always. The “everybody” term is not used lightly either. In my head, when I think of loving everybody, I immediately think about the people that are easy to love, not those who are challenging to love. Bob targets those challenging people and tells us that we must love them and seek them out the way Jesus sought out all of us, even when we were being difficult.
Bob calls right from scripture when describing this childlike love we are called to have for Jesus. The kind of love that doesn’t question or doubt, it just does. What I love about reading Bob’s work, and listening to him speak, is that childlike love is so visible. Seriously, there’s no child in the world that loves Disney as much as Bob does. Loving Jesus and others in a childlike way not only simplifies our faith, but makes it easier to love the people that “creep us out.”
I’m trying not to give away too much information about this book, so instead of talking about what is written on each page, I’m going to talk about the overall message this book is sending. That message is hope, through love.
In a world where love is so visibly lacking, this book is a ray of hope. I think God uses people to accomplish earthly things, and He’s using Bob to write about a kind of Godly love that we have the ability to share with others. However, Bob can’t do this alone. So, here’s my challenge and the whole point of me writing this week’s piece: buy the book. I’m on Bob’s launch team to convince you of just that, so I have to say it. But more than having to say it, I want to see this book make a change in our world. Bob can write about this Godly love, but it is our mission to follow through on showing this Godly love, so let’s do it. Baylor, Colorado, whoever else is reading; let’s make a change. Let's love everybody, always.
bjp
