The author of this book, Gabe Lyons wrote a book just while back titled UnChristian.  In that book he paints a very pessimistic picture of the current state of Christianity in America.  He points out that the ever increasing number of people who become disconnected from church are primarily due to one of two factors:   a bad experience at church or a bad experience with someone who claims to be a Christian.

In this new book he paints another picture – the birth of a new Christian in America.    This new Christian has emerged as the two older major factions of Christianity have begun to die.   The two factions that he sees dying are the Separatists and the Blenders.    The separatists are made up of those who insulate themselves from the world by going to Christian schools, having only Christian friends and somewhat avoiding the things of the world.   Other separatists include cultural warriors and evangelists (those who see personal evangelism as the only worthwhile undertaking for a Christian).   The blenders are somewhat self explanatory.  They live in the world but their lives are not distinctively different in any way from the world.

The next Christians are what Lyons calls restorers.  Their mission is to restore broken people and a broken world.   They do not separate from the world or blend in to the world, they engage in the world.  They infuse it with God’s love, justice and grace.  They look for darkness and take whatever light they have into the darkness in order to give people hope. 

Lyons does a great job explaining what these new Christians are all about and giving several real life stories of restorers.    As a result, I finished reading this book with a sense of hope and anticipation.  It reminded me of who we are to be as a church.   I would recommend this book to any serious Christian who is passionate about making a difference in this world.

This was my first ever ebook.  I needed to get it quickly so I could use some of what I learned at a speaking engagement.  I read and skimmed most of the book fairly quickly but it was one of those better than expected books.    Below is one readers review that sums it up for me: 

A longer life. A happier life. A healthier life. If science said you could have all this just by altering one behavior, would you? Dr. Stephen Post has been making headlines by funding studies at the nation's top universities to prove once and for all the life-enhancing benefits of caring, kindness, and compassion. The exciting new research shows that when we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from life-satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly affected. Mortality is delayed. Depression is reduced. Well-being and good fortune are increased. In their life-changing new book,Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Dr. Post and journalist Jill Neimark weave the growing new science of love and giving with profoundly moving real-life stories to show exactly how giving unlocks the doors to health, happiness, and a longer life.

One of the things that was most insightful for me were the 10 ways we can help and serve others:Generativity – Nuturing others so that their lives develop in unexpected and beautiful ways.Forgiveness – Letting go of our pain and moving on.Courage – Confronting harmful behavior or confronting evil or social injustice.Humor – Helping turn pain into joy.Respect – Offering tolerance and reverence.Compassion – Love’s response to suffering.Listening – Responding to others with empathy.Loyalty – Caring during difficult timesCreativity – A joyful expression of life itself 

This book was informative and inspiring.  A good read but a little long for my attention span..