Uncommon Graces: Christlike Responses to a Hostile World

Vawter, pastor of Bethany Community Church (Tempe, Ariz.), claims that we live in a graceless world. He divides his book into two parts. In part one, he discusses the uncommon graces he believes today's world needs: gentleness, attentiveness, loyalty, candor, mercy, kindness and repentance. Vawter uses personal anecdotes and examples from Scripture to illustrate the power of these uncommon graces. For instance, he describes how his father, whose speech and motor skills had been severely affected by a brain tumor, reached out in a simple gesture of loyalty to a longtime community friend. In part two, he asserts that we can nurture uncommon graces by building community and living according to the Golden Rule. Vawter believes that the hostility and violence he sees characterizing our world can be changed simply by enacting the virtues of respect and graciousness. (Dec.)