Treasure can be a wonderful synonym for love

There are several words in the Greek New Testament that get translated into English as ‘love’. I confuse them often, as probably many other people do also. When this book first came available for review, I decided to pass on it. The cover didn’t jump out and grab my attention, the author, Alexandra Kuykendall, wasn’t familiar to me, and some of the things I read about her other books made me think that this was a book better suited to a female audience, and besides, with a title like Loving My Actual Neighbor (Baker Books, 2019), I expected 150 or so pages of someone trying to tell me who my neighbor is.  And I already get that.

But I was looking for something to read, a book to take with me on vacation, a book which could be left in a hotel room, airport, or a seat pocket and perhaps the loss wouldn’t be noticed. So, I took a second look, and what caught my eye was the Subtitle: 7 Practices to Treasure the People Right in Front of You.

This wasn’t going to be an attempt to convince me that I needed to love the unlovable, the unwashed, the people that don’t look, talk, dress, or cook like me. Rather it was going to be practical advice on how to love my neighbor—whoever that might be. And then I began to look at the word ‘treasure’. What a great synonym for ‘love’.  It’s not a sexual attraction, not just a friendship, or a familial affection, this is about valuing a person for what he is, rather than who. And what he or she is just happens to be a human being created in the image of God. And in the early pages, the author suggests that her chapters are based on 2 Peter 1:5-9. I got where she was going, but it was a bit of a stretch for me to get there.

Kuykendall goes beyond telling us to practice the golden rule, and actually does offer some advice on how to put into practice some of those principles that many of us have learned since childhood. Things like staying humble and being a good conversationalist (listening skills, and asking questions to learn more about the other person). Being willing to stick it out even when you are obviously out of your comfort zone, and realizing that there are things you can’t change, so make the best of them. Being able to give freely—without expecting anything in return. And my favorite: lighten up—don’t take yourself so darn seriously.

There are also some additional useful tools to be found at the end of the book.

This is not the type of book that I usually read, I’m still not a fan of the cover, and yeah, a female audience might like this book more than I did, but, still, I’m glad I reconsidered and took the time to read it.  I’ll probably pass the book on to a friend, or donate it rather than make it a permanent part of my library.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher as a participant in their blogger’s program. I was not required to write a positive review, rather an honest one, based on my opinion of and experience with the book.

4/5