A War of Loves by David Bennett


A War of Loves is a beautifully written, heartfelt autobiography offering hope to all of those seeking to reconcile their faith and sexuality today. Bennett shares his story and reflects on it in light of the Bible throughout the book. I truly appreciate his thoughts from all angles of the subject. Because we have a loved one that is gay and against Christianity because of it, my husband and I want to love him as Jesus would. I think reading this book has helped me to gain better perspective and to be able to offer more compassion. I see Bennett's heart toward serving Christ and sharing in such a way that the church and the gay community can both converse and reflect in a better way. Honestly, before the gay member of our family told us, we didn't know anything except what we heard on the sidelines of the discussion. After reading Bennett's book, I feel like I can better support our loved one. I also better know how to pray for him as a result of this book. I appreciate that Bennett told readers some of the things that were offensive that I had no idea were offensive, like certain words or phrases. I don't know anything about gay culture so I understood much more. I also like that he shared what his parents and relatives thought and their experiences. I guess, if I could wish for a little more from a truly great book, I wish that he would have shared more about how his relationship with his parents and family later in the book.

I am so thankful I read A War of Loves. I would encourage every Christian to read it. I think it would help further better discussion in churches. I am not a theologian, but I found the theology shared in this book easy to understand even though Bennett is a well-educated scholar who could probably talk above many of us, but he doesn't. Any phrases that I was unfamiliar with regarding the gay community, Bennett shared in the glossary in the back. There are also two helpful appendixes in the back of the book: one entitled, "What I learned the Scriptures Really Say about Homosexuality" and the other, "Desiring and Imaging God: The Challenges."

In A War of Loves, I especially liked that Bennett shared how as Christians we could be more compassionate to those we don't understand. He also talks about how church people sometimes treat singles and how there is often on emphasis on romance and finding a partner for heterosexual couples within the church. I would agree.  I don't know what it is like to be gay, but I do know what it feels like to not fit in due to differences that you can't help. I found myself getting emotional at times reading this book as I could see life and the church through his eyes. Bennett has shared his heart and put a lot of thought into this book. Most importantly, he shared how he has been touched by his relationship with Jesus and how it has changed everything for him. He is definitely a man looking to serve God "for such a time as this." I encourage you to thoughtfully and prayerfully read it and reflect as well.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

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