Chasing Elephants, by Brent Crowe

Amidst the church at large there is often much controversy. From doctrinal debates to differing theological stances to the preferences regarding the color of the carpet much divisiveness has caused conflict to be a prevalent theme through time. What blight to the cause of Christ! What a sad reflection upon His death for sinners and His triumphant resurrection!

Based upon the premise of conflict already resounding throughout our Christian circles one might come to think that it would be best to avoid any slight of confrontation in beliefs and stance. But one who does not stand for something will fall for anything. It is crucial for the believer to stand firm upon the core truths of Scripture. But what about the areas of life for which the Bible does not specifically state how the believer ought to choose? We must understand that everything we do ought to be for the glory of God and to the glory of our Redeemer, but what if you are faced with a decision that really doesn’t hold to a moral absolute? Pastor Brent Crowe has tackled this thought in his book entitled, Chasing Elephants: Wrestling with the Gray Areas of Life.

In the first half of the book, the author writes on what it truly means to be free in Christ and how that plays out in a believer’s life. He writes on the dichotomy of those strong or weak in their faith and how their choices affect the other. Then in the second half, he addresses (without telling a believer how they ought to choose!) various “gray areas” such as social drinking, social networking, the Internet, entertainment and even assisting those in need. This is a topic that all must prayerfully address in their own life (and marriage or family!), so that one can wisely ascertain through biblical perspective how the Lord desires for them “to walk.” We then need to obey the Lord’s leading for our own life, while extending grace to others as they live how God is leading (ahem… I’m not talking about sinful living… we’re talking gray areas, though and attitude of grace needs to be extended to all as we share the message of salvation with all we encounter!). A worthwhile read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”