Dave Gibbons (2)

Rather than celebrating the diversity of God’s created order, the American church has become a source of cultural hegemony and – at times – bigotry. Gibbons is calling for a third-culture church – a church culture that seeks out and celebrates the diversity of cultures. This, the author argues, is at the heart of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan: loving one’s neighbor doesn’t refer to geographic proximity, but loving those who are different from one’s self. A third-culture church, therefore, demands liquid leadership – leadership which is characterized by its fluidity, adaptability, and willingness to learn from a variety of sources and cultures. While Gibbons’ big idea is solid, his illustrations and applications fell short of inspiring or motivating this reader. B-… (mer)