Robert Crosby's The One Jesus Loves: Grace Is Unconditionally Given, Intimacy Must Be Relentlessly Pursued is a book meant to refresh and nurture Christian growth. In a world riddled with those who follow Jesus from the fringes as well as from the heart of faith, Crosby weaves a reading of the Gospel that takes us through the "six relationship circles" that formed around Jesus: The Crowds of the curious; the 5000 needy; the 70 who worked miracles; the 12 who followed; the 3 who watched and celebrated; and the beloved one who sat with him at the table. For Crosby, those who desire intimacy with Jesus proceed through those same circles. And, while intimacy with Jesus is the gift of grace, that same intimacy -- as is true in any relationship -- must be fostered and nurtured in order to deepen.
The book is easy enough to read. Crosby is a masterful writer whose pastoral heart flows from pen to paper. None of the 40 chapters is over a few pages, so each might be read in a single sitting. And the "Conversation Starters" make this a great book for Sunday School classes or small-group Bible studies. While I would prefer a devotional guide for the book for that purpose, as a whole Crosby has done a great pastoral work for the Church.
However, he's also guilty of the one dangerous act to which pastors often succumb: Crosby psychologizes the text far too often in order to develop his point. He tells us how a person thinks or feels when those thoughts or feelings are not found in the text itself. While the goal is to connect reader to text, it does so at the expense of the text itself.
All sorts of folks ask me, as a pastor, for books that might help them grow in the discipleship. This is a book I've added to that list.
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