You come home, check the mail, and receive a dinner invitation. And not just any dinner invitation. Nope. This invitation is from Jesus of Nazareth. This is the set-up for David Gregory’s novel Dinner With a Perfect Stranger: An Invitation Worth Considering.
For today’s “Fiction Friday” review, we look at this bestselling novel which came out in 2005. Yes, I’m 15 years late in reading this one. And to be honest, I’m surprised I had never really heard of it before. Not only was it a bestseller when it came out, but it has since been made into a movie — a low-budget Christian movie, but still a movie.
I listened to this novel on Audible during my commute to and from the church office earlier this week. I was able to finish it in one day. It’s short. And a very easy read.
David Gregory is the author of several books – both fiction and nonfiction – including Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, A Day with a Perfect Stranger, The Next Level, The Last Christian, and The Rest of the Gospel.
And to clear up any confusion, this David Gregory is not to be confused with the former moderator of NBC’s Meet The Press. That’s a different David Gregory.
The novel begins with Nick Cominsky receiving a mysterious envelope mixed with a bunch of junk mail. He opens the envelope to read that he’s been invited to Milano’s Restaurant for a dinner with Jesus of Nazareth.
Believing this is some kind of elaborate prank, Nick goes to the dinner and spends a great deal of time trying to figure out just who this actor is – this guy pretending to be Jesus – and who put him up to it.
As the evening progresses, Nick gradually realizes his host may in fact be who He says He is, and the dinner turns out to be both extraordinary and life-changing.
For those who have seen the movie, you might be confused. In the movie version (which I have not seen), the protagonist is a woman. This was a choice made by the filmmakers as they adapted the novel for their purposes. But given the premise and purpose of the original novel…. such a switch would be easy to make. The protagonist in the novel – Nick- is (in many respects) an Everyman character.
Nick is married with a young child. He’s overworked, frustrated, and confused about where he stands in his faith. And he’s been disappointed with many of his past church experiences.
I was admittedly chuckling out loud as I listened to the first part of the novel, where Nick talked about some of those church experiences. His cynical humor was quite engaging – and (sadly) hit the nail on the head when it comes to how Christians (and churches) often conduct themselves.
The conversation Nick has with Jesus covers a lot of ground – albeit very quickly – over a range of topics, including the nature of pain (Nick’s past with his father), family stress, making the right choices in life, why Christianity makes the most sense, and more. It’s an interesting mix of apologetics, theology, and practical Christianity – although it’s all handled on a fairly surface level given the setting of the novel (a dinner conversation) and its brevity.
If you don’t take this book too seriously, you will probably find it relaxing, somewhat engaging, humorous (in parts), and at times heartwarming. You may even learn a thing or two (especially if you’re not well read in theology or apologetics), but…
This is a novel. And the reader must keep in mind that it’s not really Jesus talking in the novel. It’s the author’s imaginative depiction of Jesus.
This leads to one of my biggest pet peeves with modern Christian literature. Books like The Shack, Jesus Calling, and Dinner With a Perfect Stranger all put words in Jesus’ mouth.
Putting words in God’s mouth comes mighty close — too close for my comfort — to frankly adding to the Scriptures.
Andy Andrews comes close to this as well with The Traveler’s Gift and The Traveler’s Summit, but in those cases, he puts the words in the archangel Gabriel’s mouth. Still, I can accept – albeit with some cringing – putting fictional dialogue in the mouths of angels and biblical characters (and even putting them in fictional situations and scenarios).
When it comes to God (and that includes Jesus, who IS God), I personally draw the line.
This is one of the things I most admire about the classic Charlton Heston version of Ben Hur. You never see Jesus’ face or hear Him speak. But you see the effect He has on people, including Heston’s Judah Ben Hur. It’s the most moving and referent portrayal of Jesus I’ve ever seen – outside of the Bible itself.
Having said that, my words are intended as more an expression of discomfort and caution than condemnation. I do not question Mr. Gregory’s intentions in writing this short novel (and its sequels). On the contrary, he has said that, while he started his writing career with nonfiction, he felt that fiction would reach a wider audience with the love of God and the gospel of Christ. And he’s probably right.
It’s regrettable, however, that too many people lack the discernment to realize that novels are just that – novels. And that, when it comes to having a correct understanding of God, the Bible, and Christianity – the best book to read is the Bible.
Nevertheless….
If you can get past the author putting words in Jesus’ mouth (and having Him drink wine — something many of my Baptist friends would have a HUGE problem with and frankly something that makes even this teetotaler uncomfortable)…. then… in that case… you may find this novel enjoyable.
