A friend of mine, a Christian, gave me this book, Agap-ology: Little Things I Learned About God’s Big Love by David Scherer (rapper name: Agape); he’s friends with the author. This is my second time, after many years, reading it. I noticed the Christians like gifting books. Maybe that’s just my friends. But when I read what they gift me, I am often filled with renewed gratitude and optimism about friendship, the human endeavor on this lonely planet – heck, even about religion.
Scherer’s book contains lyrics; thought-provoking, end-of-chapter questions; blank spaces for thoughts; as well as encounters from throughout his life in the church, rapping, and generally inspiring the youth. The stories are told in an authentic, down-to-earth style that relates deep meaning without excess. Scherer comes across as funny, humble, and relatable. The struggles he meets (in himself and in others) are all of our struggles: those with mortality, redemption, grief, doubt, self-esteem, anger, and injustice.
This book helps me to remember why Christians do much better, actually, on average, than the non-religious when it comes to general feelings of happiness, fulfillment, and purpose in life. The holy texts, while flawed, are filled with a historical and cultural context that is anything but meaningless. As a result of rereading this book, I find myself much closer to the Christians than before. We all face the same struggle for meaning in a chaotic world; and when we find it, we do so in beliefs that uplift the human spirit, to borrow a term. These Biblical narratives are powerful. No wonder why about a third of the world is Christian. Whether the stories are literally true or not, I think, is not as important. Perhaps we all could live a bit more with this sort of thing in mind.