“Being a Christian is more about relationship with God than beliefs about God; more about the presence of God than the proofs of God; more about intimacy with truth than the tenants of truth; more about knowing God’s activities than God’s attributes. It is time to move from a religion that seeks to comprehend God to a relationship that seeks to encounter and be a home for God—to move from points and propositions and moralisms to mystery and paradox and participation in divine life.”  -- Leonard Sweet   

I like books that are found a bit off the beaten path. Leonard Sweet’s book “Out of the Question… into the Mystery” certainly qualifies as such a work. You probably won’t find it at your local Christian book store, but finding it is well worth the effort. In fact, Sweet’s book is one of the best I have read in a long time.

"Out of the Question… into the Mystery" challenges to move from knowing about God to knowing God. It invites us to change our mind about what it means to walk well with the Lord. For example, Sweet urges us to expand our definition of truth. Truth is much more than good doctrine or the right teachings. In fact, it is possible to have all the right answers and still not know God. In Sweet’s mind truth cannot be separated from relationship. Truth is a Person we know not just a set of facts. And knowing Jesus cannot be separated from being like Him.

While reading Out of the Question I was reminded of the story of the Good Samaritan. If you recall it was the guys with the good doctrine that passed by the poor fellow beaten and broken on the roadside. The priest and a Levite would have studied Torah their entire lives. Yet, Torah is ultimately a Person they did not know. It was a Samaritan, the guy with the bad doctrine, who showed compassion. The Samaritans had some pretty strange interpretations of the scriptures. This is one reason the Jews normally had no dealings with them. Yet, who was it that really knew truth in this story? Obviously, God values the Samaritan’s knowledge of truth more than that of the well learned priest and Levite.

You may not agree with everything Sweet says in his book. For instance, he submits that Abraham did not fully pass the test when God called him to sacrifice Isaac. Sweet believes Abraham should have challenged God on the matter and suffered loss for not doing so. I am not sure I fully agree, but he presents some arguments that are difficult to answer.

Sweet’s book is filled great stories, great quotes, and great illustrations. These alone would be worth the price of the book. However, the way he weaves these things together with his thoughts and insights makes out of the question a near masterpiece.

Be warned Leonard Sweet is part of what is called the “Emergent Conversation.” This is a school of thought that has been, in my opinion, grossly misrepresented by certain conservative leaders. The emergent folks are seeking to prepare the church for an emerging postmodern world. They seek to replace fear with understanding. I don’t think that is a bad thing. Yes, there is a lot of controversy coming out of the emerging church. However, Sweet seems to be firmly grounded in his love of God and his neighbor. It shows. If you want to see what all the hoopla is over all things Emergent, “Out of the Question… Into the Mystery” is not a bad place to begin.