March 7, 2022
Pastor Evans (Hope for the Hurting) urges “a return to Christian character and kingdom values” in this trite treatise. Bemoaning secularism and the fickleness of social media, Evans encourages readers to align their thoughts and actions with biblical teachings as a bulwark against the “chaos” of modern life. The author suggests that because humans are fallible and limited, they are imperfect arbiters of truth, submerged in a relativistic “world of isms... each seeking to define the truth according to its own theories, goals, and agendas.” To get to essential truths, he posits, one must rely on the “pure perfection of the Creator,” whose omnipotence constitutes the only source of certainty. With this in mind, Evans plumbs Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount to reveal its “kingdom values,” which include recognition of the need for spiritual fulfillment, grief over worldly manifestations of sin, and humbleness before God. Some insightful points stand out, such as when Evans observes that “love does not tolerate all views” and advocates love for “the sinner” while standing firm against the sin, but the author’s broadsides against cancel culture, social media, and technology come across as tired and crotchety (“Set down your cellphone and pick up your Bible”). This oversimplifies the complexities of faith and modern life.