(End of) Summer Reading

I decided to put aside David Copperfield and dig into some non-fiction this summer.  I have always had a love for literature, especially Russian and English writers.  I had read many of Dickens' novels, but somehow got stuck on page 292 of this book.  Even though it's my friend Bobby's favorite, I just never really got into it.  I understand that Dickens got paid by writing episodes which then became novels.  Evidently, he had quite the cult following, people who could hardly wait for the next episode to be written.  Long books resulted!  Unlike Dickens, I wind up blogging whenever inspiration strikes since I am not paid for 32 pages of output.  Lately, I haven't been sure that I would be able to write anything fruitful, because I have felt so frustrated.  Rather than complain about the healthcare crisis, Glenn Beck, BP or Wall Street, I thought maybe I should just write about the books I am now reading.  How it happened, I don't know, but I am actually reading seven books!

1. The Bible:  it has been a consistent international bestseller and has been worth reading and re-reading.  It is the only book that I have been reading for the past 30 years.  Even skeptics like Joseph Conrad appreciated the Bible as a work of literary inspiration. So many people have so many different interpretations of it.  Since I can't read it in the original languages, or perfectly interpret the various genres, will I ever really understand it as a whole?  Even so, I think we are in an era of many false prophets (including Mr. Beck for sure) who are invoking God without really knowing Him or at least not the God of the Bible.  Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruit."  Matthew 7: 16.  At least some of us have to know the Scriptures well enough to call these people out.

2. The Language of God by Francis Collins who was head of the Human Genome Project and Director of the NIH.  This book brings some sense to the debate between "Creationists" and "Evolutionists".  In the end, it is impossible for a truth-seeking individual to rule out evolution.  It is also impossible for a truth-seeking individual to rule out God.  Of course, belief in an artistic God is not a new way of seeing things (Ephesians 2:10).  We humans are increasingly witness to the splendid beauty and glory that God, in His wisdom and creativity, brought about through evolution and possibly other processes as well.  My faith is, in no way, diminished by recognizing evolution as a scientific truth.

3. Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity by John Polkinghorne who is a quantum-physicist-turned Anglican priest.  This book complements Dr. Collins' book by highlighting the complementarity of science and religion rather than the conflict between them.  Recently, another famous British physicist, Stephen Hawking asserted that there is no reason to invoke the existence of God in order to explain how the universe began.   The law of gravity explains it all.  Of course, the law of gravity cannot explain why the Universe began.  Back to the realm of theology.

4. The Call to Joy and Pain by Ajith Fernando whom I recently heard give a weekend seminar and also heard years ago at Urbana.  One of my patients reminded me of an important truth last year, in the midst of my trial.  He said, "I don't know why Christians are so surprised when we suffer.  Becoming a Christian is almost guaranteed suffering."  After all, Jesus was known as the "suffering servant."  Ajith Fernando's book is a reminder to find joy in the midst of suffering.  I find it particularly important to find joy in the fight for justice, as it can be so discouraging when the bad guys seem to be winning and when doing good doesn't seem to bring reward.

5. The Republic by Plato.  I am interested in knowing how Plato influenced Western thought, particularly how his philosophy may have had an impact on the founding fathers.  Our country was founded as a Republic, after all.  The founding fathers have gotten roped into much of the recent political dialogue.  One of the fundamental questions asked in The Republic is, "What is justice?"  This is one of the most fundamental questions Americans should ask as well.  Most will answer along economic and racial divides.  Much of my reading and thought life over the past 10 years has centered on the topic of justice.  Understanding it is key to racial reconciliation.

6. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn retells American History from the perspective of those who were not traditionally given a voice.  Could it be that our cultural mythology has spared us so many of the bitter details?  Should it be that schoolchildren are kept safe from certain terrible truths about our foundations as a nation?  As an adult, I have the opportunity to relearn and reframe, in some cases.