Bloodlines - Book Review

Note: This book does not come out until September 30th. You can pre-order it at your favorite online bookseller.

This is without a doubt one of the strongest books I've ever read. I'll say upfront that I will be purchasing a copy as soon as it is available! John Piper begins with somewhat of an autobiographical chapter, detailing is younger, racist days. He is very transparent about how he used to speak to and act towards and think about blacks. He openly states that the gospel changed his heart. After that opening, he begins to delve into the gospel and discusses point by point how the gospel message and really the whole of Scripture shatter any notion that one race is superior to the other. Piper repeatedly uses Scripture to draw parallels between how God views us and how we should view others.

While this is a book chock full of Scripture, it isn't just a biblical tome on race. Piper uses the last portion of the book to provide practical advice to people on how to address racism in their lives (and churches) and how to work to end segregation in our churches. Church members everywhere should be able to take Piper's suggestions, combine them with the Scripture presented and develop a plan to fit their church's unique situation.

Because of my situation at work as part of an undoing racism initiative and my current church's entire design, this book resonated with me on many levels. I was convicted of some of my own thought patterns and am prayerfully working through what those mean. I cannot wait until my hard copy comes and I am able to delve deeper into the spiritual truths presented in Bloodlines. If you've ever wondered about race/racism adn how to address it as a Christ-follower, this book will be an excellent tool.

I received a galley proof of Bloodlines from netgalley.com in exchange for my review of this book.