God works in amusing ways …

A reader writes …

a story of how I first began to read your work.
Coming out of seminary I was steeped in Tillich, Niebuhr, Bonehoeffer and later Boff and Guitierrez. I had also been practing Benedictine spirituality for about 10 years when I first saw a copy of “A New Kind of Christian. I was at the PA State Pastor’s Conference roaming through the book section. The title, especially “a tale of two friends on a spiritual journey” as well as the cover picture caught my attention. But when I picked it up, I noticed the little circle indicating an award from Christianity Today. My prejudice came through. I put it down thinking if Xianity Today likes it, it has nothing to say to me (a Xian Century person). But a couple of hours later I was back looking at the book again. This time I went to the flap to read about the author: “Pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church”. I tossed the back back down. After all any congregation that is called a “community church” is independent, evangelical and conservative and so he has nothing to say to me. But a little later I was back again looking at the darn book. I remember saying to myself (supposedly or was I having a conversation wthsomeone else?) okay I’ll get it. Sometimes it’s important to read what the other side is saying so you know how to combat it.
But what a surprise! God does work in amazing and sometimes amusing ways.