Monday, January 11, 2010

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger – David Gregory

© 2005 Colorado Springs, WaterBrook Press


I must admit, I had some difficulty categorizing this one. I picked it up for a song at a book fair several months ago (possibly even at a previous year’s book fair), and let it gather dust on the shelf until about three days ago. On the surface it looks like a short fiction—easy to read, well written dialog, the whole novella scene. Then as you read it, it starts turning into an apologetic, even a comparative religions essay. But at final glance it is a superb evangelism booklet: it doesn’t preach, but doesn’t hold back any punches either. I found that the publisher, likewise had some difficulty placing this one—the library of congress info suggests that it is fiction (with three different emphases). The category information included with the barcode on the back of the dust jacket claims it to be “Christian Living/Personal Growth.” Since the publisher has no qualms multi-listing this book, I won’t sweat the categories either—after all the author previously published it in a different edition using a different pen name.


Here’s what you have: Nick Cominsky receives a dinner invitation to, of all places, Milano’s (an upscale, downtown restaurant that is high on atmosphere) from, of all people, Jesus of Nazareth. Expecting a bad practical joke from the guys at the office, Nick decides to accept the invitation just to find out how it will play. What he finds when he gets to the appointment is a simple unassuming man in a business suit. The conversation naturally turns to religion and Nick discovers that this man knows more about him than anyone should, but for some reason it doesn’t make him angry. Instead he is intrigued.


Pick up a copy of this book and you’ll feel like you had dinner with Jesus, too. And at five reading glasses, you’ll be glad you did.


Benjamin Potter, January 11, 2010


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