Book Review: Loving Mercy

"God Bless you... to go bless others"

These words are the closing words of this excellent - and reasonably slim - book on a vital subject from one of my favourite writers and preachers, Simon Ponsonby of St. Aldates, Oxford. The book I'm reviewing today, "Loving Mercy: How to Serve a Tender-Hearted Saviour", is a fantastic look at one of the key outpourings of a Holy Spirit-filled life - a life of love expressed in Justice and Mercy. 

I have reviewed a number of Ponsonby's books on this blog, and still firmly and highly recommend 'MORE' for those looking at what it might mean to be a Charismatic Christian, and 'And The Lamb Wins' for those thinking about the end of the world, eschatology, and so on. This book is slightly different - more practical, hard hitting, and very convicting. Ponsonby starts with two common questions: 'What does the Spirit-filled life look like?' and 'What does the sanctified life look like?'. His answer to both is the same: 'Living justly and mercifully'. This is a phrase, echoing biblical themes, that Simon unpacks carefully and comprehensively throughout this book.

Loving Mercy is helpfully divided up into very short chapters, making this a book that would be great to read in community, alongside a quite time, or in brief snatches of time like on the commute or on the loo (if, like me, you read quick enough and are aware of how much 'throne time' you need). This brevity, however, does not make this a light book. As I've already said, this is a book that hits hard, and hits often. This is a book where you can clearly see some of the journey that the Holy Spirit has led the author on, and a book that echoes the Father's heart for justice and mercy as expressed in the Bible. 

Ponsonby weaves into his argument challenges to our character, our spirituality, and our actions. It comes as a relief, then, that the final page of writing is the simply titled ''What Do You Want to Do Next?'. This challenges us to go and do something with the things we have read and explored. This is a welcome thing to read - all too often books seem to just assume we will apply things. Yet here Ponsonby leaves us with some helpful reminders, chiefly that Godliness and not guilt should be our motivators. The only true motivation for Godly living - and thus true justice and mercy - is Jesus, living in us, and the outpouring of God's kingdom on earth.

I am grateful for this book. Simon Guillebaud opens with a challenging foreword, with the story of a homeless woman who a Vicar prayed for yet did nothing for. This book gets the balance right, ultimately, It builds on the dense theology of God Inside Out, echoes some of the strong themes of 'MORE', and gives practical and biblical expression to 'The Pursuit of the Holy'. I would recommend reading Loving Mercy alongside Simon's book on worship, authored with Neil Bennetts, 'Now to Him'. Essentially, though, this is a book that gives a biblical and Spirit-filled motivation for doing the good that Christians are called to do in the advancing of the Kingdom of God. I would recommend it for churches and individuals thinking about what it means to be Spirit-filled, and what it means to be good news people in a bad news world. Highly recommended!

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If you have enjoyed this book review, then do click through the links above to other books by Simon Ponsonby. On a similar theme, of justice, you might also like my review of Tim Keller's 'Generous Justice', Trystan Hughes 'The Compassion Quest', and Campolo and Darling's 'The God of Intimacy and Action'. You can find lots more book reviews, on a whole range of subjects, here.