The Colors of Hope: Becoming People of Mercy, Justice, and Love
It's time for a fresh vision of the Christian life as a creative adventure.The Christian life should be guided by the intentional goal of blessing the lives of the friends, loved ones, and strangers in our midst. We are called to impact a culture that is overwhelmingly preoccupied with personal peace, prosperity, protection, and survival. Christians should be artists who paint with the colors of hope in a broken world, embodying Christ's redemptive presence in our personal lives, our work, and our relationships.This inspiring and practical book offers tools for living out this vision in daily life, with special attention given to the challenges we face in staying focused on the mission of imparting hope to others even while dealing with our own personal issues. Anyone who wishes to have an impact on the world will cherish this unique book."Richard Dahlstrom brings a welcome call to a biblical faith that takes us beyond ourselves and the polarized debates in our society."--Tom Sine, author,The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time"Passionately, deftly, Dahlstrom urges us to embrace our calling as artisans of hope. This is the soothing voice and the relevant message that this noisy, weary world needs."--Karen Spears Zacharias, author,Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide? 'Cause I Need More Room for My Plasma TV"Dahlstrom reminds us that cynicism and hopelessness are not going to change the world. But neither will nebulous idealism. We have to become people of mercy, justice, and love. In short, we have to be 'artisans of hope.'"--Eugene Cho, pastor and founder, One Day's Wages"Richard Dahlstrom, one of the brightest and best communicators Christianity has to offer right now, calls us out into fulfilling our role as creators--artists sent to splash the world with meaningful, gorgeous color."--Jordan Green, director, Burnside Writers CollectiveRichard Dahlstromis senior pastor of Bethany Community Church in Seattle, Washington; Bible college teacher with Torchbearers Missionary Fellowship; and a speaker at conferences throughout North America. His first book,O2: Breathing New Life into Faith, was selected byPublishers Weeklyas one of the best Christian books of 2008.  You can find more of his work at richarddahlstrom.com.