Evangelical Christian apologist, speaker and author Zacharias (The Lotus and the Cross; Jesus Among Other Gods
) turns his attention to intimate matters of the heart in this primer on romantic love and marriage. At a time when Christians' divorce statistics match those of nonbelievers, Zacharias provides a strong pathway to enduring, timeless love between men and women. Taking the biblical tale of Isaac and Rebekah's marriage as found in Genesis 24 as the premise for his text, Zacharias carefully depicts this primordial love story as a model to which today's couples can look for inspiration and direction. Love is hard work, he writes; it is, in fact, the hardest work of all, and no partner is ever allowed a vacation. Modern society has robbed couples of love's higher call—cherishing and nurturing one's spouse—by unfairly pairing marriage with charm and sensuality. Zacharias offers three pivotal habits necessary to yield the strength and wherewithal to endure marriage's fatal foes. Christian couples, he says, should prioritize their time to include a daily prayer retreat to gird themselves with strength; consistently study the Bible to allow eternal principles to take root; and invest themselves in a local church body where couples can work out their faith in a supportive environment. Readers will be enchanted by Zacharias's gentle, conversational style, yet challenged by his unwavering commitment to biblical truth. (Feb. 12)
