This week we were pleased to receive a review copy of Tipping our Kings: Finding the Truth in a World Full of Options by Jack Crabtree.
Jack is an international missionary in training who isn’t waiting to be in a far off land before he takes part in the great commission. He writes, “Talking to people is easy, but impacting lives is God’s business, not ours. It must be Him working through us.”
Tipping our Kings recounts the true story of two men whose budding friendship is built upon conversations of the utmost importance. Jack candidly shares his initial feelings of prejudice and selfishness as he tries to avoid Nicholas, a philosophy student and professor, after his wife suggests that they should meet. His feelings quickly change as he sees the eternal significance of their conversations.
In Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis wrote:
“It is a serious thing, to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ‘ordinary’ people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”
Readers will find that the retelling enables them to trace the work of the Spirit throughout the friendship, and will be reminded that no one is exempt from the outcomes described by Lewis above.
The book crescendos with an all-night conversation between Nicholas and Jack that is sure to encourage Christians, and conversely challenge non-Christians.
Pros:
- Professional book quality. Sturdy paper and a typeface that won’t leave you squinting.
- Quick and enjoyable read. We both read through in one sitting.
- Jack’s writing style and the content of his story is very interesting and encouraging.
- The appendices offer valuable tools for practical apologetic conversations.
Cons:
- This is not so much a “con” as it is a “heads up.” There are some philosophical discussions included that will likely fly right over the head of younger folks. There are definitions for some of the trickier terms, though, which we find to be a helpful touch. For this reason, we would probably recommend that parents read the book before passing it on to their high school aged child so that they will be able to better answer any questions that arise.
Pick up a copy here: Tipping our Kings: Finding the Truth in a World Full of Options
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