From The Prologue
“Then Jesus tells it to us straight up. He comes to rip and tear families apart because He is bringing not peace but a sword, not unity but division (Matthew 10:35; Luke 12:49,52). He was not on vacation in Palestine but on a mission of violence that would end violently.” (13)
From Chapter 1: “King of Fools”
“The big question that looms in my mind is this: If it’s God’s love that wins, then what kind of love wins?” (27)
“There is an inherent, settled antipathy between God’s Kingdom and the kingdom of the world.” (29)
“What we need to make clear with our bumper stickers and culture-current writings is that the move that wins is a holy love. The love that won on the cross and wins the world is a love that is driven, determined, and defined by holiness” (30)
“Our accomdation to our culture’s insistence on a half-truth puts us in danger of declawing and domesticating the mighty King, whose presence made deamons scream and death flee in shame.” (31)
“His coming was not to be marked by peace and tranquility – He came to impose a test of absolute allegiance. He forced people into a divisive crisis of choice (Matthew 10:34-39).” (31)
I have just finished reading Timothy Stoner’s book The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith. I had never heard of the book before and upon seeing the title it initially does not give the impression like it is sound for the soul for two reasons: first, I thought that it might be about how Jesus toked it up (I have seen articles on this); and secondly, being a good Southern Baptist Calvinist who likes his faith thoroughly reformed and neat the word ’scandalous’ did not sit with me well. But as the cliche goes, “You cannot judge a book by it’s cover”. And I would have done just that if Trevin Wax had not written such a positive review of the book.
I certainly do not agree with everything in the book. For instance I would never say that Jesus was a revolutionary like Che or Castro (I would not say he is like George Washington either). Also, I have a little trouble agreeing that unbelievers can serve God through their art (174). But taken as a whole I would heartily recommend this book to everyone. It is very readable and winsome.
Here are the 3 top reasons I like it:
1. He gives a good explanation of who God is as a joyous, vengeful, righteous, merciful, jealous, and patient King who wants to share his joy with you while demanding that you bow down and worship him.
2. He gently takes the emerging church to task (especially Rob Bell) by validating their concerns but noting that many times their cure is worse than the disease itself.
3. He gently takes the fundamentalists to task by giving a solid defense of the arts as a legitimate Christian occupation and that “Apparently for Jesus – no works, no heaven” (156).
I hope soon to post a few of my favorite quotes from the book.
