Gabe Lyons (author of Unchristian) sees a new breed of Christian on the rise: The Restorers. Fueled by a firm realization of the Gospel, that they were once dead, but have been brought back to life by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, helpless individuals who received healing, undeserving rebels who received mercy, they seek to live this story out in the world by restoring brokenness, especially among the undeserving and helpless.
Taking a page from Tim Keller’s Generous Justice, Lyon brings to light a picture of a movement already happening amongst young evangelical Christians who share six characteristics:
- Provoked, not offended by harmful lifestyles. Â Provoked to action and involvement in the mess to bring healing and restoration.
- Creators, not critics, of the culture in which they live
- Called, not employed to their service in the kingdom
- Grounded, not distracted – deeply anchored in Christ, they are not drawn into the ways of the world
- In community, not alone
- Countercultural, not relevant, because the Gospel will never be cool enough.
The Gospel of Jesus remains firmly at the center of this action, never on the periphery and never forgotten. The movement rises and falls on it. It is a beautiful picture Lyons presents.
I recommend this book if you sense a deep dissatisfaction with the heavy political and rules-driven overtones of mainstream evangelicalism, if you wonder why nearly all of our teens leave the church when they leave their parents home.
I recommend it even more if you do not sense or wonder about these things.
(Disclaimer: I was honored to receive this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)
Leave a Reply