Nonfiction Review: Messy Grace by Caleb Kaltenbach

Caleb Kaltenbach "shares his heart" in "Messy Grace." He writes of his experience becoming a Christian after growing up with two moms and a homosexual father. And his story is incredible. But what should really draw the reader in is Caleb's call to both grace and truth.

Caleb believes in the traditional, Biblical perspective on marriage, and he uses strong, Scriptural evidence in his presentation. He also knows that no sin and no person is black and white. His insights into the lives of "others" are challenging and thought-provoking. He gives solutions to the gay Christian dilemma (celibacy, heterosexual marriage), but doesn't expect one size to fit all, and instead focuses on where we place our identity - in Christ or in the things of this world. He does lightly touch on the issues of gay marriage and Christian rights, but does not go into great detail on anything political... or all that practical for that matter.

I know he wanted to encourage Christians to love instead of hate, but I think the everyday issues Christians face are extremely relevant to the conversation on just how we can love our neighbors. I would like to see another book from Caleb that focuses more on how the tension plays out - "Messy Grace" was more about pointing out the tension, itself.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.