*Love Has a Name Learning to Love the Different, the Difficult, and Everyone Else by Adam Weber - WaterBrook & Multnomah
Después de leer a Jon Tyson, en Beautiful Resistance (te acuerdas?), Adam Weber fue quizá un cambio de ritmo bienvenido. Como pasar de una película de arte a una conversación en la sala de casa. Y eso también se necesita. A veces.
Weber es un pastor de Dakota del Sur con un estilo tan conversacional que parece que está tomando café contigo (y eso que no suelo tomar café, prefiero tecito). Sí, a veces se pasa de "pastor juvenil" con referencias a Justin Bieber, cosa que a algunos les puede gustar pues quizá sientan un tipo de cercanía que les desarma, habemos otros que no necesitamos tantas referencias de la cultura pop, pero bueno, se vale.
La premisa es simple pero poderosa: el amor no es un concepto abstracto, tiene nombre propio. El libro cuenta 27 historias de personas que le han enseñado algo sobre el amor. Desde Brett, su amigo con parálisis cerebral, hasta Tony, un miembro de su iglesia que también es drag queen. Y Bill, un traficante y delincuente sexual que le enseñó que el amor es un desastre hermoso. Weber no se guarda nada. Me pregunto cómo se sentirán las personas de las cuales cuentas una historia en un libro... les pediría permiso? se sentirían halagados? lo sabrán? sería una sorpresa? tuvieron que firmar algo? son solo preguntas que me surgen a veces al leer... no me juzgues, jeje.
Mi escena favorita: puso una mesa plegable en la calle con un cartel que decía "¿Necesitas hablar? Toma asiento". Llegó Gerald, un señor bien vestido que terminó sollozando sobre su ansiedad. Weber solo escuchó. Eso es el libro: amor que se sienta, escucha y está presente.
Por cierto, siempre he querido hacer algo así, poner mi sillita y mi cartulina con el letrero, se me da bien (hasta ahora no necesito el letrero, las personas son como metales y yo como imán, se acercan y me cuentan, sin que yo pregunte...
El punto débil del libro es quizá su sencillez? Es debatible. Si buscas teología densa, no es aquí. Pero ese no es el punto. El punto es que el amor no es una doctrina para debatir, es personas para amar. A veces los libros en inglés modernos son así... Pero si no estás acostumbrado a leer, eso te puede ayudar.
En resumen: para cuando el amor se ha vuelto una palabra gastada. Para recordar que el evangelio se vive en la mesa, en la calle, en la escucha. Léelo con lápiz en mano y corazón dispuesto a sentarte con alguien que necesita ser visto. De todos los libros se puede aprender algo.
Adam Weber was perhaps a welcome change of pace. Like going from an art film to a conversation in the living room. And that's needed too. Sometimes.
Weber is a pastor from South Dakota with such a conversational style that it feels like he's having coffee with you (and that's saying something, since I don't usually drink coffee, I prefer tea). Yes, sometimes he goes a bit too "youth pastor" with references to Justin Bieber, which some people might like because maybe they feel a kind of closeness that disarms them. There are others of us who don't need so many pop culture references, but hey, it's fine.
The premise is simple but powerful: love is not an abstract concept, it has a name. The book shares 27 stories of people who have taught him something about love. From Brett, his friend with cerebral palsy, to Tony, a member of his church who is also a drag queen. And Bill, a drug dealer and sex offender who taught him that love is a beautiful mess. Weber holds nothing back. I wonder how the people whose stories you tell in a book feel... would you ask their permission? Would they feel flattered? Would they know? Would it be a surprise? Did they have to sign something? These are just questions that come up sometimes when I read... don't judge me, hehe.
My favorite scene: he put a folding table on the street with a sign that said "Need to talk? Take a seat." Gerald arrived, a well-dressed man who ended up sobbing about his anxiety. Weber just listened. That's the book: love that sits down, listens, and is present.
By the way, I've always wanted to do something like that, set up my little chair and my cardboard sign. I'm good at it (so far I don't need the sign, people are like metals and I'm like a magnet, they come up and tell me things, without me asking...)
The book's weak point is perhaps its simplicity? That's debatable. If you're looking for dense theology, this isn't it. But that's not the point. The point is that love is not a doctrine to debate, it's people to love. Sometimes modern English books are like that... But if you're not used to reading, that can actually help you.
In summary: for when love has become a worn-out word. To remember that the gospel is lived at the table, on the street, in listening. Read it with a pencil in hand and a heart willing to sit with someone who needs to be seen. You can learn something from every book.
Description
“Love has a name, and that name isn’t Mark or Adam or even yours! That name is Jesus, and when we make love about him, everything else falls into place. Struggling to love? Pick up this book!”—Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker and lead pastor of National Community Church
Who does Jesus love? The stranger who looks strange. The driver who cuts us off in traffic. The person online who thinks differently than we do.
Loving people is hard. Especially when it involves the difficult people in our lives and those different from us. We say we love others, but really we don’t. Instead of loving, we hurt, belittle, and overlook people. Which is precisely why we need to learn how to love—from Jesus and from one another.
Adam Weber knows firsthand how important it is to learn to love. And he’s learned incredible lessons from incredible people—some of them quite unexpected. With hope, humor, stretched comfort zones, biblical truth, and (maybe) a few tears, Love Has a Name looks at the most powerful of these stories, showing us twenty-seven people (and one school) who have taught Adam how to love like Jesus.
One name at a time.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781601429476 |
| PRICE | $20.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 240 |
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