This excerpt from John Burke’s book “No Perfect People Allowed” rocked me:
“Gordon MacDonald said it well, ‘The world can do almost anything as well as or better than the church. You need not be a Christian to build houses, feed the hungry, or heal the sick. There is only one thing the world cannot do. It cannot offer grace.’ The uniqueness of Christianity boils down to this word: Grace. Philip Yancey notes, “The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctring of karma, the Jewish covenant, and the Muslim code of law – each of these offers a way to earn approval.” Grace says that God accepts you and loves you unconditionally – ‘as is.’
But if you interview people on the street, few, if any, associate Christianity or church with anything closely resembling grace. What they feel is law – zero tolerance, judgment, and condemnation. Why doesn’t the church utilize its greatest asset? Though the world cannot offer grace, in its absence, it found an inexpensive substitute: tolerance.
dude! this quote (along with your high recommendation) settles that i’m buying this book. great quote! thanks!