44 REVIEWS
You are Never Alone :
Trust in the Miracle of God ’ s Presence and Power
Max Lucado ( Thomas Nelson , October 2020 )
240pp , RRP £ 12.99
Revolutionary :
Who was Jesus ? Why does he still matter ?
Edited by Tom Holland ( SPCK , Sept 2020
240pp , RRP £ 19.99 hardcover
The book ’ s message is exactly what it says on the front cover : you , the reader , are never alone . Using John ’ s gospel as a biblical baseline , and everyday examples from the author ’ s life and the people around him , Max Lucado ( author and Teaching Minister at Oak Hills Church , US ) aims to show that God is undeniably with us through everything . The biblical miracles and the modern examples that Max chooses aim to show the reader that no matter what they face or what they are walking through , God is with them .
The biblical examples are well researched , and the language used is clear and accessible . Lucado breaks up the Bible passages to interject relevant background information and broaden the biblical picture , or to offer an interpretation of events . The book is both encouraging and challenging , at times humorous and at times drawing on pastoral sensitivity , but always with wisdom and compassion . Each chapter represents a different miracle from John ’ s Gospel , and Lucado links it to times we might feel alone , either through his personal stories or by metaphors of what we might face in everyday living . He links in other Bible characters or verses to back up his main point and encourage . Because of this , some prior biblical knowledge would be helpful , but not essential , to get the most out of this book .
I particularly like how each chapter offers a personal challenge of the part we play , the choice to trust and be obedient . I also like how each chapter finishes on a positive encouragement . This is definitely a book to build people up . On a personal level , I was struck by the reassurance of God ’ s promise to me , over and over again , that God has always been and will always be there .
I would recommend this book to individuals , small groups and preachers . Andrea Lucado ( Max Lucado ’ s daughter ) has prepared questions for each chapter ( all at the back of the book ) to help explore on a deeper personal level . Not every circumstance in the book will resonate with every reader , but I would recommend it overall to every Christian at any stage on their journey of faith .
Karen Taylor
Karen is Visitor Experience Officer at Guildford Cathedral , and loves reading , writing , baking and being creative .
I write this review at a time when the British press has trumpeted , ‘ Christmas has been saved !’ Meaning an annual festival of shopping , eating , drinking and generally over-indulging has been given a limited go ahead , amid the global pandemic known as Covid-19 .
But the real Christmas would have gone ahead no matter what . Why ? Because , ‘ Across the planet , over two billion believe that Jesus was indeed the Son of God , Light of Light , Very God of very God ’.
So writes Tom Holland , celebrated historian , writer and broadcaster , in his introduction to a compelling collection of essays about Jesus . Here are leading intellectuals offering insights into Jesus as the single most important figure in Western ( some would claim , world ) history .
If you think here ’ s a book of neat Christian testimonies , you ’ ll be disappointed . The writers may all be bright but they are not all believers . Anything but , in the case of some . But they are all gripped by the questions about Jesus that never go away . Who was he ? What was his mission ? And most of all , why can ’ t we stop thinking about him ?
The contributors differ greatly ; a former Archbishop , an expert on Islam , a novelist , a Christian apologist and a potpourri of professors share testimony , wisdom and insights on the ‘ pale Galilean ’ [‘ Hymn to Proserpine ’ by Swinburne ] who , seemingly , won ’ t stay dead .
Listen to historian Holland ’ s bold assertion ; ‘ Two thousand and twenty years after the birth of Christ , we remain the children of the Christian revolution : the most disruptive , the most influential and the most enduring revolution in history .’
Preachers who read this book will encounter perspectives to inform their preaching and inspire them to keep telling the good news clearly , to a puzzled yet open generation . Jurgen Klopp , manager of Liverpool FC claims ‘ Jesus is the most important person in history .’ This book suggests why this is the case .
Ian Coffey
Writer and speaker who lectures on preaching and leadership at Moorlands College .