cover image Love Matters More: How Fighting to Be Right Keeps Us from Loving Like Jesus

Love Matters More: How Fighting to Be Right Keeps Us from Loving Like Jesus

Jared Byas. Zondervan, $18.99 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-0-310-35860-2

Byas (Genesis for Normal People), cohost of the The Bible for Normal People podcast, argues in this uplifting testament that how one believes is more relevant than what one believes. Drawing from his experience as a professor and pastor, Byas examines the Christian tendency to idolize truth in pursuit of certainty and explores different perceptions of truth, explaining that “in the Bible there is no tension between truth and love, because the highest form of truth is wisdom.” Emphasizing that love and authentic faith can only be found through following Jesus, he provides stories and examples of Christians who model speaking the truth by sharing Christ’s love. For instance, a woman who, after her gay son comes out to her, makes a speech to her church arguing that a Christian’s “call is to love” all people. With a focus on Jesus’s message of salvation for all, Byas frequently reminds readers of Christianity’s welcoming core: “It turns out that the best Christians are the ones who love the most, regardless of what they know or don’t know.” Christians who enjoy the work of Richard Rohr should check this out. (Sept.)