Book Details
- Author: Jeff Wickwire
- Publisher: Chosen Books (2007)
- Category: Christian Living
Discerning Reader Editorial Review
Reviewed 06/13/2010 by John Bird.
Recommended. A scriptural, enjoyable book about friendships.
The Bible has a lot to say about friendships. According to Jeff Wickwire, "The words friend, friends, friendly, and friendship are found 107 times in twenty different books of the Bible." God cares about our relationships, and so should we. "As your friendships go, so goes your spiritual life." Wickwire, pastor of Turning Point Fellowship in Fort Worth, Texas, begins Friendships with quotes from Carol King, C.S. Lewis, and Winnie the Pooh; I knew right off that I was going to enjoy it, and I did.
The book, as he says, is not a how-to manual:
I do not deal, per se, with how to make friends, become more popular and so on. Rather, I have attempted to take an honest look at some of the pitfalls, disappointments, and heartbreaks of friendship, as well as the anatomy of true friendship, what it looks like, what it is comprised of and what the characteristics that make it endure are.
Friendships is divided into four parts, each consisting of three chapters. The four parts are:
- Part 1: The Awesome Power of Friendship
- Part 2: Deceivers
- Part 3: Leavers
- Part 4: Cleavers (cleaving, that is, like Ruth cleaved to Naomi. Not to be confused with "meat cleavers")
Wickwire does an excellent job of covering his subject. Besides that, his book has two other important strengths. First, his writing style is enjoyable. I laughed out loud in a few places. It may be too casual or "cool" for some readers, but others will find it refreshing. The other strength is that the book is full of Scripture. Wickwire loves the Word of God and makes constant use of it. His translation of choice is The Message. I'm not usually a fan of paraphrases (in fact, I don't like them at all), but in the context of this book it seemed to fit well.
Wickwire's theology differs from mine in areas, some more important than others. But on some subjects he is excellent, particularly when discussing God’s sovereignty and His using trials and disasters for the good of the elect. Overall, I would recommend this book, particularly for those looking for valuable information on what it takes to be a friend. And with Wickwire's love of Scripture mixed with his warm and humorous style, I wouldn't hesitate to read him again.
