I hate to keep blaming everything on the result of a Presidential election of 4+ years ago, but the truth is that a lot has changed in my perspective since then. I've questioned a lot of my assumptions since then. When I agreed to review this book, I expected to read a lot of platitudes. Truth is, I expected to be bored.

But the book surprised me for several reasons.
* The author, Barney Widget, brought the voices of other believers into his explanation of Jesus' sermon. Their diverse points of view added depth and insight. The author reminded me that Christianity is part of a long historical tradition in which many other people have had thoughts about Jesus' Sermon.

* The book brought the challenge of the Sermon on the Mount to today's world. Instead of just focusing on the words in the text, the author applied them to the issues we are currently dealing with: Injustice, Inequality, Poverty, and State oppression, to name a few. Jesus spoke to those issues back then and this book reminds us that his words still apply to situations we face today.

* The book reminded me why I love Jesus. Jesus challenged the authorities and the social ills of his day. The Sermon on the Mount reveals his heart for those who are oppressed, poor, sick or just out of favor.

In my first reading, the book breathed more life into a set of passages that I thought I already understood. I love to be comfortable. Widget's book made me uncomfortable with my complacency in some areas. I recommend this book if you want to understand how the words of Jesus are relevant today. ( )