There isn't a person on earth who hasn't needed a second chance. Knowing that God is the God of second chances has been a huge comfort to me; my problem, however, is learning to forgive myself. My usual opinion of myself is pretty low. I've needed a lot of "second" chances!
People of the Second Chance was an easy read and offered some new ways of looking at old problems. I related to much of what the author had to say, but had to take issues with some of his statements and ideas. I appreciated his openness about his own issues, as it helped to know while reading that he had gone through some of the very things, or had had the same feelings as I (and many, many others) have.
Some truly eye-opening statements are written involving judging others, but the author goes too far, in my opinion, and nearly brushes away the fact that while God is merciful and loving, He is also righteous and just.
Pros:
A beautiful cover, and a synopsis that pulls the reader in.
Relatable.
Real.
Thought-provoking.
Some really great quotes:
"The upside down God is good at what he does. He turns weirdness into wonder. He uses opposites, prodigals, and everyday quirkiness to shame the zealous, religious know-it-alls."
"Moses was more confident in his weakness than he was in God's strength." (Ouch! That's one of my problems!)
Cons:
On page 37 the author says that Game of Thrones is HBOs finest show. Ummmmm, no. For obvious reasons.
On pages 164, 169, and within the whole section on loving yourself, there were statements that I don't believe are biblical. We love ourselves in the sense that we care for our daily needs, but we aren't to love ourselves too much. There is a list of things that the author suggests you do, such as this one: "Let a few people down. Let them be disappointed in you. It's good for them. It's good for you too." Maybe I didn't get what he was trying to say here, but that rubbed me the wrong way. We're supposed to be dependable. I don't think it's ever right not to keep our word--to let people down--just for our own comfort or..whatever.
Once again, an author has attempted to make God sound cool. Brought Him down to our level. "He (God) likes to party. He is weird sometimes. " No. God is never "weird". That's just irreverent. He works in mysterious ways, true, but He isn't weird. God would be spoken of with only severance and carefulness, and this isn't that.
All in all, while I couldn't recommend this book without mentioning these concerns, I do think there is a lot of good stuff here.
On pages 164, 169, and within the whole section on loving yourself, there were statements that I don't believe are biblical. We love ourselves in the sense that we care for our daily needs, but we aren't to love ourselves too much. There is a list of things that the author suggests you do, such as this one: "Let a few people down. Let them be disappointed in you. It's good for them. It's good for you too." Maybe I didn't get what he was trying to say here, but that rubbed me the wrong way. We're supposed to be dependable. I don't think it's ever right not to keep our word--to let people down--just for our own comfort or..whatever.
Once again, an author has attempted to make God sound cool. Brought Him down to our level. "He (God) likes to party. He is weird sometimes. " No. God is never "weird". That's just irreverent. He works in mysterious ways, true, but He isn't weird. God would be spoken of with only severance and carefulness, and this isn't that.
All in all, while I couldn't recommend this book without mentioning these concerns, I do think there is a lot of good stuff here.
3 out of 5 stars.
