The Love Ethic

I am praising God with all that's in me today. Yesterday I received a phone call from my mom with news I never expected to receive. My Uncle Howard went in for a PET scan on Wednesday and was due to get the results yesterday. He was certain that it was going to be bad news, but instead, there is no sign of cancer! This is a complete miracle! He was diagnosed with cancer 2-1/2 years ago, and at that time was given a 30% chance of making it two years. And the news only got worse from there. He faced multiple surgeries, constant complications. It seemed like before every single holiday, the doctors would tell us that this was his last. In January of 2009, he went into a coma, developed a staph infection, MRSA, pneumonia, and nearly every other complication you can think of. My mom, aunt, cousin, and I spent every single day for a week in vigil at his bedside because the doctors expected him to pass at any moment. You can read blog posts I wrote about him and his struggle here, here, here, here, here, and here.

But Howard has the most indomitable spirit I've ever seen. He refused to give up and fought for his life. Plus, we prayed for him like I've never prayed before. Mia spent a great deal of time praying for him. She asked others to pray for him as well, and praise God! now she can see the true power of prayer. The doctors won't consider him to be truly cancer free for seven years, but we know that he is healed.

My praise is tempered by concern for Jesse's cousin Johnny. We're holding a benefit for him tonight to help him pay the sky-rocketing medical bills. He was diagnosed last year with Stage 4 abdominal cancer. Please pray for Johnny and his family. We'd love to see another miracle.

The Love Ethic by Terry Bell is a fascinating look at human nature and the necessity of love. Bell is a philosophy and theology professor so he brings an unusual point of view to the discussion about religion and morality. Bell believes that love should be our defining characteristic. Love should characterize all of our interactions and should shape culture. I read a lot of devotionals, and Bell's stands out from the crowd because of his intelligent and philosophical arguments and his discussion of the history of philosophy and how it relates to Christianity. He always beings it back to God and that his commandment to love one another as ourselves means not only to love others, but to love ourselves as well. It's impossible to love others if you don't love yourself, and Bell uses incredible logic to help the reader understand. Bell's writing voice is a bit professorial, giving the book a authoritative tone. He appeals to readers' sense of logic while keeping it grounded in God's love. It's an unusual book that deserves a wide audience.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Today's picture is of Mia with the trophy she won at Awanas Wednesday night. She took third place in the Grand Prix Races.