Surprised by Community by Charles D. Drew

"Surprising Community" offers Christian readers biblical guidance on Christian social and political engagement. Its aim is to help Christians meet two obligations: (1) to love their neighbors as themselves and (2) to love each other even when they disagree over how best to love their neighbors. With reference to the first obligation, the book argues that Christians may not withdraw from social and political engagement: Jesus is the Lord of all and we are his ambassadors, called to do all we can to make our world more just, good, and beautiful. With reference to the second obligation (and this is the heartbeat of the book), "Surprising Community" argues that Jesus died to create a social surprise, a new society that showcases for our polarized world what human society will look like when Jesus finishes what he started: Christians must, for this reason, find ways to live in honest harmony with each other even when they disagree profoundly over politics. Throughout its pages "Surprising Community" offers practical advice, biblical perspective, and opportunities for discussion and reflection, all of which aim at fostering this harmony.