In a world where many tout their own loud voice, diversity often takes a back seat to the safety of agreement and homogeny.

"I'm more comfortable with my own people," a friend told me. That's true - but is safety why you were created uniquely and born at this time of history?

This book encourages friendship with those unlike ourselves, promising benefits and exploring the risks of expanding our narrow circles. You'll be challenged from the book of Ruth in the Bible - watching how an utter outsider becomes grafted into a tight-knit and exclusive community of religion and values.

It's a challenge. Take it up?

Being able to read this during this season of my life has been so incredibly impactful. It's helped me to realize the value and NEED for community and my friends. That it doesn't have to be purely transactional and I ought not feel guilty that I'm not giving enough or needing too much from my people any given day because we are all meant to provide for each other in these relationships. I loved the message behind the words in this book and I hope to be able to continue to apply them in my own life over and over again.

ABSOLUTELY a necessary read for these times, and any times, maybe. Beautiful and informative. I support the message of friendship and relationship.

Friendship Can Save the World: The Book of Ruth and the Power of Diverse Gospel Community by Carrie and Morgan Stephens.
This book is definitely a relevant read. This book takes a look at the book of Ruth and the impact of friendship. It looks at how caring for others and having a friendship can bridge divides that we experience. One thing I loved about this book, is it is so clear from many of the stories shared that this is not an easy process. It takes work, risk, intentionality, and a desire to reflect God’s love to others. It can be exhausting and at times you can wonder if God is even doing anything as a result and the reality is for some stories you may never know how God used the situation. But from the personal stories shared in this book you can also see the beauty of God’s kingdom and how the Church is able to reflect God’s love in this culture. As the world feels more divided it is easy to see people no longer as people but the other, the enemy, but that is not God’s desire or how God seems them or you and this book is tackling this idea.

Overall I would recommend this book as I found it to be encouraging. It would also be perfect to discuss as a small group.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

At times I felt like I was reading a treatise on the value of diversity. At times I felt like I was reading a collection of sermons adjusted to become chapters in a book. Neither of these points is bad, but I would have liked more practical application and exploration on how to exist in a diverse community. I found myself thinking, “Don’t only tell me that diversity is important; also tell me how to listen and love. Tell me how to find understanding and care in differences.” With that being said, this still had some excellent content. Some of the stories were extremely relatable, especially pastoring in the downtown area of a fairly large city myself. While my husband didn’t read this with me, some of its content also led us to some great discussions on our own church community and how we want to function in the world. Highlights for me were the congregation member stories and the chapter on politics (because who wouldn’t say that we are in a polarized time?). Overall, I think this is a great book for the right audience. I’m not sure if I am that audience, but I still gained something from reading.

This book surprised me. I am always on the lookout for thoughtful, rich, and special books connecting Christianity and friendship. This is going to be one of my top books of the year for 2023.

In a society familiar with terms such as “unfriended” “segregated” and “isolated” this new book by Carrie and Morgan Stephens is not only needed, but key to paving a better and united future for the next generation.

Friendship Can Save the World challenges readers to move out of their comfort zones and engage in authentic conversations and relationships with people from all different walks of life; socially, economically, racially and politically to name a few. Through the Biblical narrative of Ruth, Carrie & Morgan apply this books timeless example of friendship and compassion to the contemporary challenges we’ve faced over the last few years to remind readers of how transformative friendship can have on individuals and communities.


Friendship Can Save the World is a thought-provoking read that will take time to digest and practically apply. A great book to read together with others who are also hoping to expand their friendship circle and perspective on issues that don’t fit nicely into a box.

It wasn't long into my reading of "Friendship Can Save the World: The Book of Ruth and the Power of Diverse Community" that I found myself looking up Mosaic Church of Austin, Texas, a diverse multi-site congregation led by the book's authors Morgan and Carrie Stephens.

Carrie is the established author here having previously penned "Holy Guacamole" and "Jesus, Love, & Tacos" among others. Morgan, on the other hand, serves on the North American Leadership Team for Every Nation Churches.

With "Friendship Can Save the World," they explore the book of Ruth as a way of also exploring the vital necessity of engaging with and fostering diverse communities.

As someone who does identify as Christian, I'll confess that there are times it's a challenge to claim because of an increasingly polarized world. Denominations split over one or two issues. Friendships are strained when views differ from our own. It seems like it has become increasingly difficult to gather at the table with one another.

Even worse, at least to me, is that "diversity" has become a word identified as political or as a secular pursuit.

In "Friendship Can Save the World," we are reminded that we serve a diverse God who taught us to love those we can have a hard time loving - outsiders, enemies, those from other countries, the poor, and the weak. By examining the book of Ruth and by offering an enthusiastic and insightful retelling of Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi, the Stephens's offer a spiritual roadmap of sorts to help us get back on the road toward loving people unlike us.

While "Friendship Can Save the World" is theologically rich, its language is warm and accessible with biblical exegesis, personal experiences, and testimonies offered throughout its 208 pages. Each chapter starts first by examining and exploring the words from the book of Ruth soon followed by either Morgan or Carrie, sometimes both, sharing their experiences in daily living and within their congregational setting. Each chapter closes with a testimony offered by a member of Mosaic Church offering their own experiences with being members within a congregation that takes its call toward diverse community seriously.

For the most part, "Friendship Can Save the World" avoids digging into those occasional politicized issues that can so often divide faith communities. That said, it absolutely does delve into the existing divide between those who identify as conservative and liberal and those who agree/disagree on certain social and political issues. It's a difficult balance yet, refreshingly, "Friendship Can Save the World" finds that balance and easily became a book I appreciated even if I occasionally found myself in disagreement with a point made or an interpretation offered.

I will admit there were times when I became bothered by just how many of the examples and testimonies came from within Mosaic Church. In a book that is, essentially, preaching diversity it would have been richer, at least for me, to incorporate testimonies from other faith communities and/or even denominations. At times, "Friendship Can Save the World" reads like an advertisement for Mosaic (admittedly, a very convincing one).

I also longed for references to disability inclusion. As a Christian with a disability and someone who has been in pastoral roles, I've experienced and been witness to the struggles that so many with disabilities have in terms of truly being fully included in a faith community from basic accessibility issues to addressing stereotypes. In a church as large as Mosaic, it seems weird to me that disability wasn't included. While it's impossible, of course, to include every single possible expression of disability, it still felt like a lack for me.

Also, how do denominations sabotage friendship? Prior to my current home church, I joined a church where I'd bonded fairly well with the pastor and associate pastor very well due to some hardships I was experiencing at the time. Within a year of my joining, however, both individuals had left the congregation and I was left feeling astray. To make things more challenging, denominational requirements included no contact with these individuals for a certain period of time. While I understand the need to allow new pastors to settle, this policy for me discourages authentic relationships or "friendships." I ended up leaving that church. While I'm happy where I am, very happy, it has made me think about the various ways we sabotage "friendship" in the name of polity.

Now then, if it sounds like I'm picking on "Friendship Can Save the World" rest assured that I'm not. In fact, I prefer a book that makes me think and wonder and makes me more curious. I prefer hard discussions and thought-provoking debates. If I lived anywhere near Austin, I don't, I'd most likely visit the congregation. If anything, I'd have preferred the book to be a bit longer so that we could all dig a little deeper.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed my time with "Friendship Can Save the World." Morgan and Carrie Stephens offer an intelligent and insightful discussion grounded in love and compassion while exploring the Book of Ruth and how it can influence us as Christians and within our congregations. There's much to absorb here and I look forward to returning to the book again and again.