Messy Truth

Reviewed by:

Bethel Grove, author

REVIEW INTRODUCTION

Title:

Messy truth: How to Foster Community Without Sacrificing

Author:

Caleb Kaltenbach

Publisher:

Waterbrook

https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/

Date:

August 2021

Format:

Paperback

Length:

256 pages

OVERVIEW

I was so excited when I heard that Caleb Kaltenbach was going to be releasing another book on the topic of handling LGBTQ discussions and issues within the church. I was so encouraged and impacted by his first book Messy Grace that I knew I had to read this one. In the end, I found this book to be just as good and is a fantastic companion to Messy Grace. Speaking from his experience of being raised by gay parents, becoming a pastor, maintaining his convictions about the biblical definition of marriage, and still making how to love others and foster community with those who disagree with him, there is a wealth of wisdom to be gained from this book. Besides all this, I have to give him extra brownie points since he graduated from my alma mater, Ozark Christian College. If you read the first book, this one is a must-read. If you haven’t read either book, I highly recommend both of them together.

Living our lives in light of the truth can sometimes be messy. This is because we live in a world that at best undervalues the truth and at worst is dismissive of any form of objective truth. This can make it difficult for those that embrace truth to build community with those that only embrace truth subjectively. This principle is proven true when observing the LGBTQ community and its activists. Finding ways to walk the tightrope of balancing grace and truth for Christians towards these individuals is a journey that too few Christians and churches have embarked upon and those that do are often left with more questions than answers. It makes us ask the question: how do we build influence and an inclusive community without sacrificing our convictions?

Rating:

5 out of 5

Suggested audience:

Adults

Christian impact:

There is a wealth of wisdom to be gained from this book.

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Used by kind permission of Bethel Grove.