God Still Loves the French

I received this book from two different friends, one of whom is a missionary to France. The author, Marc Mailloux, tells his own stories about life in France, where he attended seminary and served the Lord for many years. He is an engaging story-teller, and I was surprised to find that the book sparked some thoughts about life in our ministerial context in Northern New England.

Heart of Darkness

What a Conrad treat! I am listening to it again immediately, since I found so much spiritual benefit from it. We learn where the true heart of darkness really is. Even Marlow, who tells the story, found that he was longing to listen to the Voice, Kurtz, who set himself up like a god among the people. This impulse to be worshiped, and attraction to people that seem to have the Voice, leads men to drink the Kool-Aid too many times.

Nicholas Nickelby

Delightful Dickens... Would love to talk to my grandfather, Christopher Spencer, about this book. He had an old set of Dickens volumes that I remember seeing in the corner of his living room in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. He and Grandma were born in Liverpool and came to America in the early 20th century. He was a proofreader for a newspaper in New Jersey, and a gentle loving man. He is missed. I hope to see him again in heaven.

Anyway, he was a quiet lover of Dickens...

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The holocaust told from the strange perspective of a ten-year old boy who is the son of the German Commandant at Auschwitz. Very moving. Thanks to Donna for letting us know about this one.

The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge

What a great read! Thanks to Connie for loaning me this book. I had always been interested in him, trusting that there must be more to this man than all the jokes. I was fascinated by his life in rural Vermont, his education at Amherst College, and the pathway of providence that led him to the presidency. Also struck by his account that after the shocking death of his son from blood poisoning, the presidency lost all of its attraction to him.

Anna Karenina

I found the account of the conversion of Levin very uplifting (See Part 8 - Chapters 10-14). There is something here of a faith that recognizes that a life dedicated to God is to be lived out in real living, if that makes any sense.

What is the What?

I highly recommend this book, which is the story of one of the so-called "lost boys of Sudan." It shows us that there is no escaping brutality and misery in this current age. You cannot simply leave it behind in one country or another. This book provides an excellent illustration of the challenges that millions face in this world of depravity and sin. Here we also see the glimpses of grace and opportunities that point us toward God's plan for something beyond this world of sin and misery.

We need to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who face troubles that are far beyond anything than we can imagine. I have come to the conclusion that there is no point in comparing trials. There is a sense in which I can never really understand the trial of another person. In fact, I can never really understand my own trials. Each significant loss is a horrible grief, but each loss can be embraced, and is part of the way that we are made to be people who are still standing, though we have faced trouble. That is something for which we can be thankful...