“The best days of Christianity will be found in the future. In fact, in some ways Christianity is now getting out of diapers and starting to walk. When it starts to run, hold on for dear life. For the promise of the gospel is that one day, Christianity will do more than walk or run: it will fly. And the rapturous ride of a Christ unleashed in the world will be something to be experienced.”

Leonard Sweet

“The Three Hardest Words in the World to Get Right” is the second book I have read by Leonard Sweet. His best book is probably “Out of the Question, Into the Mystery,” but this second book was also very enjoyable.

You are probably wondering what are the three hardest words to get right. They are, of course, “I love you.” Sweet concedes that loving is hard. I love the illustration he uses about the matter. Often people tell Sweet who is an accomplished writer that they love writing. He responds by saying that he never met a writer who loved writing. It is hard work. What writers love is having written. Likewise, loving is often a very hard thing to do, but its rewards are eternal.

The Three Hardest Words is divided is a short work, only 169 pages. It is divided into three sections that correspond with the three words “I” and “love” and “you.” Each section full of sound wisdom and wonderful stories and illustrations. Sweet is extremely well read. Although this book only has 169 pages, it contains 333 endnotes.

In the first section Sweet defines love as a lowering of self. Yet, in a mysterious way it is also the raising of self. It is essentially the loss of self for the sake of “the other.” In the second section he paints a picture of the grandness of love and how it is a reflection of the nature of God in us.

The third section might be the most compelling. Here Sweet speaks of our interconnectedness as human beings. He laments that in the Western world excessive individualism often leads to the loss of community. This is an idea I very much agree with. Even in the church we tend to focus on “I” rather than “us.” In the scriptures we clearly see that there is no “I” apart from “us.”

Sweet is a master at illustrating his points. As I read his works, I am constantly amazed at how he always has just the right anecdote or quote for every thought. For instance, did you know that Elvis kept a .357 Magnum by his television. Why? He would use it to shoot his TV whenever he saw Robert Goulet singing. He also shot his TV when he saw Frank Sinatra or Mel Torme. The reason was that these fellows represented everything Elvis did not want to be. Good thing Elvis had a lot of money. 

“The Three Hardest Words to Get Right” will make you feel, but it will also make you think. If you are interested in a deeper relationship with God and a better relationship with your neighbor, I would highly recommend this or any other of Sweets works.