Reclaiming Loveis nothing short of an amazing book. I so admire Ajith Fernando for the time and prayerful thought that he must have put into writing this book. He takes the definition of love that Paul gives in 1 Corinthians 13 and turns these few words into an in depth look at what it means to truly love your neighbor as yourself.
1 Corinthians 13 places great conviction on so many of us to be more loving. But we all know it's not as simple as that. Patience, kindness, perseverance, never keeping a record of wrongs - all of these things are not easy to achieve 100% of the time. Many of us don't even feel that giving of ourselves in this manner is safe for our own self-worth.
Much to my delight, Fernando delves into each of these definitions of love in a way that stems from his years as a pastor and counselor. He analyses their meaning in a way that is both academic and easy to understand. He then discusses how we can apply each of them in our daily lives. This isn't a piece of fluff, either - Fernando goes into great detail. The examples he gives are highly relevant to a number of situations - from personal life to family to work.
I was especially impressed with his ability to reach out to people who are in recovery - as well as the people who work with them.
This book is a jewel. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in becoming more Christ-like. It's not a dust-gatherer - it's a book that a reader can return to time and time again.
Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Five out of Five Stars
