Thoughts on "Radical"

Outside Reading 2:

Radical - David Platt

I read the book Radical when I was a freshman in high school and it really impacted the way that I viewed the world. The book is a call to Christians to step out of their comfort zone and spread the Gospel to the world. The author, David Platt, talks about how one of his missionary friends from Southeast Asia went into the home of a person living in an “un-reached people group” and was taken aback when he saw a coke can.

“Immediately, it hit home with my friend. A soft-drink company in Atlanta has done  a better job getting brown sugar water to these people than the church of Jesus Christ has done getting the gospel to them” (158-159).

While I personally do not feel extremely shocked by this realization (as Coca-Cola is something that people around the globe enjoy), I do think that the point should not be overlooked. Coca-cola hardcore wants everyone around the globe to like, buy, and drink their product because as a company, they want to make money. Money-making is one of the primary motivations of people in the world today, and it is amazing how much can be accomplished when a person puts their mind to making money.

Do Christians have the same amount of passion when they are loving others or sharing the Gospel? Do Christians have more passion when loving and sharing the Gospel? Isn’t bringing glory to God through loving others and sharing the Gospel the point of living? Why is it then that those focused on making money frequently show more passion than those who follow Jesus?