Thursday

The Lotus and the Cross by Ravi Zacharias


Book Description:  Have you ever wondered what Jesus would say to Mohammed? Or Buddha? Or Oscar Wilde? Maybe you have a friend who practices another religion or admires a more contemporary figure. Drop in on a conversation between Jesus and some well-known individuals whose search for the meaning of life took them in many directions -- and influenced millions. Popular scholar Ravi Zacharias sets a captivating scene in this first in the intriguing Conversations with Jesus books. Through dialogue between Christ and Gautama Buddha that reveals Jesus' warm, impassioned concern for all people, God's true nature is explored. It's a well-priced, hard cover volume readers will want to own, and also share with others.

My Review:  Ravi Zacharias is one of those christians who can communicate our need for Jesus and our need to know the difference between what is fiction and what is fact.  
This is a thought provoking and, in my opinion, a wonderful way to bring Jesus to peoples who may have never hear of him or who are following idols such as Buddha.  
Ravi in his own unique way presents a dialogue between Jesus and Buddha.  
The dialogue begins with a short story of introduction as Ravi  haggles with the boatman for the price of a ride he where he encounters Priya who is young and beautiful.  Lured to the big city by a "friend" Priya is raped and basically sold into prostitution.  Priya has a devastating life.  She loses all hope and then finds that she is to bear a child.  She begins to think of taking her life but before she does she finds that she is HIV positive.  She begins to keep detailed records of the men who use her and yet despise her.  In the end she can find no cure for  the deadly disease and sets her house a fire.  She burns in the house...her beautiful body going  to ashes. 
This is where Ravi asks Jesus, "What, Lord Jesus, would you have said to Priya, had she brought her decrepit body and aching heart to you? (Actually many women in similar situations did come to Jesus.)"
And what would Buddha have said to her....in this land (India) where 95 percent of the population are Buddhists?  Thus, begins the intriguing conversation between Jesus and Buddha.
I love this statement Ravi makes at the beginning of the book, "Jesus and Buddha cannot both be right.  The lotus is the symbol of Buddhism; the cross, the symbol of the Christian faith.  Behind the two symbols stand two diametrically opposed beliefs. . . . truth demands investigation and commitment.  Our conclusions must be in keeping with Truth that cannot be tested.  To be handcuffed by a lie is the worst imprisonment."
Jesus' answers as I would have thought.....with love and compassion wanting only the best for His child!
This is wonderful  5 star read to increase or to encourage your faith!

*I reviewed this book for Reader's Favorites.com*

About the Author:  For over thirty-five years, Ravi Zacharias has spoken all over the world in great halls and universities, notably Harvard, Princeton, and numerous universities internationally. He is listed as a Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford university. He has appeared on CNN and other international broadcasts. The author of several books for adults and children, he powerfully mixes biblical teaching and Christian apologetics. His most recent works include Walking from East to West, a memoir; The Grand Weaver, an exploration of God's intention in both the ordinary and the startling elements of life; and The End of Reason, a rebuttal of the claims of the so-called New Atheists. His weekly radio program, Let My People Think, is broadcast on 1,692 stations worldwide, and his weekday program, Just Thinking, is on 412. He is founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional offices in Canada, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. Dr. Zacharias and his wife, Margie, have three grown children and reside in Atlanta.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for introducing me to this book and author. Sounded so interesting that I looked up other books he wrote and would like to read some of them also.

    ReplyDelete