God's Gravity: The Upside-Down Life of Selfless Faith

by Craig Borlase

Responsibility, obedience and sacrifice are all challenging concepts in today's self-absorbed world. Even segments of the Church are buying into a self-absorbed faith, pursuing health, wealth and spiritual high-fives at the expense of the Gospel. God's Gravity deconstructs the myth of success that infects Christians today. In a culture where even Christians are adopting values contradictory to the ethics of Jesus, this book offers a life-changing perspective on how our lives should really be lived.

Genres: Christian

193 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 2006

Reviews

[Rachel B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes. Borlase makes many good points about social justice, but when he tries to explain Biblical passages, he is way off.

The author states that "surely" the book of Job is just one big story, an allegory, because "it is hard to believe." He believes that the account shows God as "silent, evasive, cruel, and unpredictable." (Chapter 7) Borlase doesn't examine the text and compare it to the rest of the Bible, he just decides he doesn't like it, so dismisses it as fiction.

But the biblical writers never reference parables as fact the way they do Job, and the letter from James indicates an understanding that Job's account proves God's compassion and mercy, not any of the negative attributes that Borlase reads into the text. (James 5:11)

The author misinterprets/misapplies other passages, as well; notably, the parable of the talents, found in Matthew 25, the account of Esther, and the Genesis 12 passage in which Abram lies to Pharaoh, telling him that Sarai is his sister and allowing Pharaoh to take Sarai as a wife. (The author claims that the sin was all Pharaoh's - pure lust; the biblical account indicts Abram for deceit and caring more about preserving his own life than about keeping others from sinning. )

There are other books from which one can get the push for social justice without the faulty Scripture interpretations. I recommend skipping this one.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sort of got tired of hearing about all these sad circumstances around the world...it was touching and challenging to read about the current state of many people (poverty, disease, hunger, etc). The author spent 150 pages explaining a Christian's call to responsibility, obedience and sacrifice that is found in the Bible and really bangs the drum about getting out of your "me-first" mentality and thinking about others (especially the poor). He only spent a mere 15 pages explaining what little ways I can change or how I can help the poor. It took me literally over 4 months to read this book...because I could only handle reading it for so long before I started to get depressed. I just wished there was more I could do or ways the author interspersed hope. I serve a God who is bigger than all these problems around the world...I just wish there more I could do.

Oh, and I really liked chapter 7...it was an in depth look at the book of Job in the Bible. Very insightful.

So, if you feel like your life sucks...just pick up this book and get a better perspective of the world around you and how to start to live a life that is pulled by "God's Gravity".

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need to be responsible with the things that God has given us. Most of all, His message, but to a not-much-lesser extent, His world, His people (poor, rich and everywhere in between, world-wide) and His stuff (He owns it all - He's God).