This book might well begin, “Once upon a time” and the reader would then be right to expect the story of a King, His people, a kingdom far away and a heroic rescue. However, Christopher Wright’s book is no fairy tale and the lost are not merely in danger of remaining servants to evil stepmothers. The stakes are much higher. Blessing the nations is the mission of God and Wright makes his case early, tackling the big questions of humanity’s existence and purpose. The story he paints does not begin in Matthew 28 but before the beginning of time. In this story, told from the vantage point of Genesis 1, Wright probes the breadth of the people and the message of our mission established within the Trinitarian community. While the word story …show more content…
Wright demonstrates that by looking from Genesis to Revelation God repeatedly calls His people to leave their place of comfort and safety and go to a new territory for the express purpose of sharing the blessing, i.e., fruitfulness. Since the original sending of the disciples, the missionary movement has slowly shifted the urgency of redemption into primacy, while routinely failing to build the foundation upon God’s character and promises. Abraham’s relationship with God provides the missional launch pad more than four thousand years before the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. God’s people, whether the Israelites of yesterday or the priesthood of all believers of today, are called to act as God’s representatives, attracting people by sharing the blessing of God’s love. The way in which Wright frames the covenant relationship and the kingdom responsibility of God’s people is particularly appealing to me. His holistic emphasis opens Christianity’s evangelistic mission to a much broader audience. Highlighted in the area of care of creation and the marketplace might be the impetus for divergent groups to work together on justice and compassion. Investments of resources like finance, physical, intelligence and relationship, made on behalf of the kingdom will produce fruit in the spiritual