Bookworm
Right now I'm reading "The Case For Faith" by former Chicago Tribune journalist Lee Strobel. He has a series of "The Case For..." books, and this is the second one I'm tackling. I read "The Case For Christ" while on my honeymoon in Bora Bora.
The premise of Strobel's books is that he used to be an atheist...pretty much driven to nonbelief by all the horrible things he documented and witnessed as a legal affairs writer for a major metro newspaper. As a journalist, he decided to use his investigative skills to research and interview leading religious scholars in an effort to discover whether Jesus was really who people believe he was. As a result of what he found, Strobel ended up becoming a believer. And a pastor.
The first book was good and he made some excellent points, but I found it only merely interesting because I already believe. The one I'm reading now, however, gets into such a deeper level of exploration that my mind has been in overdrive.
For example, one of the questions the book poses is "if there really is a God, why do so many bad things happen in the world?" This is something I've mulled before. And the conclusion I independently reached is that we are here for spiritual growth, so even though bad things happen, in the long run there is actually some good that comes of it. If we learn from these bad things, that is really a positive. I have always thought about why crappy things happen to people who don't deserve it. But I realize that it's because those experiences teach us things about ourselves. The book pretty much reaches the same conclusion. God does not intervene in the happenings of the world, because they are intended for us to be able to grow. Some people curse God for the pain they have to experience, for not saving them from hardship. But one has to look at the bigger picture. Pain and hardship are only temporary. What we can endure and learn, and incorporate into ourselves, is forever.
There are actually eight questions ("The Big Eight") in the book that are examined by leading scholars. Each scholar takes on a different question. I realize this kind of topic and book may not be for everyone, but it really makes you think. They are questions that almost everyone has thought of in one way or another, but the answers are not always what immediately comes to mind. I'll add that many skeptics say Strobel's books shouldn't be taken as the authoritative voice on Christianity. I agree. What I think is that the books are a starting point for many different thought processes, and it's up to the reader to do further research if he or she so desires. And I think that's how Strobel intends them, too.
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While we're on the topic of reading, I'm not sure I've come out and said it before, but I confess...I'm a bookworm. Don't worry, it's not contagious. I swear. OK, a little topical ointment and you'll be fine...stop whining! The burning sensation is normal. But anyway, I have ALWAYS been an avid reader. And I'm a forgiving reader, too, because I won't usually abandon a book partway through unless I'm realllllly hating it. I will give every book a fair chance and read it to the end. Sometimes I regret that ("Catcher in the Rye," any Steinbeck novel...), but generally I don't. However, I've been realizing lately that I read a lot of "junk food" books. I love Patricia Cornwell, I love some science fiction, and I admit I devoured all the Harry Potters. That's not to say all that stuff is bad...it's just kind of Cheetos for the brain.
So, I made a resolution to read more literature and classics. I went on Amazon yesterday and trolled for some new fare. However, I had some restrictions: no Aldous Huxley ("Brave New World" really turned me off in college), no Steinbeck (classic, I know, but I find it too dry), no authors I read in high school, no books for which I've already seen the movie, I've read plenty of Shakespeare so I don't need more at the moment (even though I really love Bill's work), no Dostoyevsky (at least not right now...seems too heavy), and I did lots of epic lore and poetry in college so nothing that falls in that category. Oh, and no Vonnegut, because I recently watched "Slaughterhouse Five," and Ryan and I were really scratching our heads by the end. I was almost irritated that I had lost two hours of my life to that cinematic randomness.
What I ended up ordering: Tolstoy's "War and Peace" (I would like to be able to say I've read it, plus I want to see what all the hoopla is about), Orwell's "1984" (there are supposedly many parallels between it and the show "Lost," which I love, so it sounds worth checking out), Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" (technically I've already read Hemingway, but this one sounds good), and Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" (I've heard a lot about it).
Eventually I may add something by Thoreau...I've been wanting to read something of his too.
There are many authors I've already read who I love: Cather, Plath, Fitzgerald, Capote, Maugham, Harper Lee...most of those were as a result of school or movies, but the writing is worth it. Time to beef up my list!
Oh, and on a somewhat related note, David Sedaris has a new book out...whee! Can't wait for it to drop in paperback.
posted by Kim at 11:23 AM
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