One of the embarrassing things about Christian books is that there aren’t very many of them that I feel comfortable giving to friends who aren’t “members of the club”. Nearly all Christian books assume that the reader holds particular moral positions and beliefs, and understands Christian jargon. Books that don’t have this failing often seem to assume that the reader has the intelligence and vocabulary of an 8-year-old, or that the reader finds reading polemic to be a helpful way of reaching an informed decision.
One book which avoids any of these failings, and which I am not embarrassed to give to my friends, is Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit, by Erwin McManus. In a series of “entries”, the book explores and interprets our cravings for intimacy, meaning and destiny, and shows how they point to the existence of God and our need for him.
Topics covered include “The elusive nature of love”, “Do you know who you are?”, “Destiny calling”, “Believing in the future takes faith”, “Making sense of this mess”, and “Just follow the signs”. Erwin says, “I don’t know how to prove God to you. I can only hope to guide you to a place where you and God might meet.”