Good and Beautiful and Kind: Becoming Whole in a Fractured World

In this cogent manual, pastor Villodas (The Deeply Formed Life) delivers a road map to spiritual formation. “Jesus offers a way of being human that is powerful enough to tear down the walls of hostility we have grown accustomed to,” the author contends, using scripture to detail how readers can practice kindness in a polarized society. Villodas argues that “the greatest sin” is “failure to love” God and others, and he describes Cain’s murder of Abel as a cautionary tale of envy’s power to stifle love. To develop a thoughtful faith, the author urges readers to be humble and more reflective during prayer, and to this end he recommends setting a timer to ensure that one takes the time to pray deeply. Telling of how Paul confronted Peter over the latter’s hypocrisy, Villodas posits that embodying Christian principles today means engaging in “healthy conflict” and talking out disagreements, and he suggests readers do so by listening carefully and speaking respectfully. The author’s insights are profound and accessible, and he is refreshingly candid about the limits of his advice: “I wish I could tell you that all our conflicts will come to a peaceful end. But you and I both know that’s not true,” he admits. Lucid guidance and compassionate prose make for a winning volume. (July)