"You're Only Human" by Kelly M. Kapic. A Review

 

They were giving free copies away at my denomination’s General Assembly in June 2022. So, as soon as I found out, I scampered over to the Covenant College exhibit to snag one. I picked up one of the last copies they had, and I’m glad I did. “You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News” is a 272-page hardback composed in 2021 by Kelly M. Kapic, professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. The book is precisely aimed at the subtitle. As the writer states, the book “aims to help us discover the theological and pastoral significance of embracing the gift of being limited: it is just part of being human” (15). Yes, you read that correctly – God’s gift of our human limitedness.

 

The chapters move through an array of topics, all circling the main thesis. The subjects include our finitude, our union with Christ, the goodness of our bodies and how our physical limitations are not bad, a look into the “self,” humility, time, sanctification, church, and living with our finitude faithfully. There were many high points, but chapters 3 and 4, regarding our bodies, were two of my favorites. “The God we worship is not embarrassed by his creation; rather, he loves it, and he acts from that love…Our ideas about our own bodies interact with the ideas we have about Jesus…God fully demonstrates his delight in our humanity, demonstrates that creation is lovely and loveable, in the event of Jesus’s very physical, very human birth” (46). “A truly Christian spirituality must always also be a body-affirming spirituality” (54). Allow those thoughts to sit there and simmer a bit. Once they have soaked in and marinated the fiber of your heart, I think you, too, will savor the joy of God’s pleasure in our bodies.

 

As I was working through the chapters, there were a few moments when Kapic’s words made me pause. In two specific places they spoke to some personal and internal fights I’ve been having with myself of late. I won’t say any more about the first inner tussle, but the latter has to do with my downplaying the encouragements of others, precisely those who are urging me to write another book, one on a particular subject I’ve spoken about several times and taught in an adult class. I’ve discounted positive assessments, doubting whether I have the skill or drive to pen another book. And then I read these words in the chapter on misunderstanding humility, “In fact, Aquinas believes faintheartedness can, just like arrogance, grow out of pride: “A man clings too much to his own opinion, whereby he thinks himself incompetent for those things for which he is competent” (cf. Prov. 26:16). Sometimes we need to listen to others and believe them when they tell us we can and should do certain things” (106). I hear you, Kapic. I have been corrected.

 

“You’re Only Human” is a book every human needs to obtain and pour over. Most especially, Christians and ministers should snatch up a copy and make it a priority. Is this a book I recommend? Most certainly, and without any hesitation!