Tchividjian examines the story of Jonah with a microscope, with words that in turn causes the reader to examine their own heart, their own soul with an equally strong microscope. Grace, which the author proclaims is the bottom line for the story of Jonah, is a difficult concept to understand. Yet in this relatively short book, grace is not only defined in words that provide a framework for a deeper awareness of that grace, it also encourages an acceptance of the truth that there really is not human explanation for grace. Without grace, our existence would merely be mechanical and worthless. With grace, genuine worship of our God and our Jesus, becomes not just an act that we perform out of duty, but it becomes our lifeline and the central purpose for our lives.
I would consider this book to be a “must-read” for those who habitually run from God.
My Uncle Lewis
If one has never read C.S. Lewis’ non-fiction works, then they, in my opinion, are missing out on the opportunity to not just read a brilliant thinker and writer, but they are also missing the privilege and honor to be allowed to see inside another human’s soul, as they reason out the complexities of approaching God, and of being approached by God—being pursued by God. Lewis’ transparency and use of language can’t help but cause the reader to examine their own mind and soul, and their very thinking about a relentless God’s pursuit of a person like me, unworthy and a failure.
I will admit, I am one of the very few who do not like his fiction writing. At all. But as far as his non-fiction works, his brutal honesty about his own mind and soul, and his willingness to share (and admit!) that the human mind can be an entanglement of so many different textures of thoughts about God, funneling down eventually for him, to a surrender as quoted below—his words so echo my own heart and process. That is why I have adopted him as my uncle, and how I wish he was still alive today, writing just the right words to express the very similar thoughts that I have in my own mind, that I just seem to be able to express as eloquently and succinctly. Just don’t ever make me read Chronicles of Narnia again. Ever. 🙂
“You must picture me alone in that room at Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? The hardness of God is softer than the softness of men.” (C S Lewis)
Recommendation: Commentary on Acts by John Stott
While I am far, far from qualified to recommend commentaries compared to really smart nerds and geeks, I find John Stott’s writing and scripture analysis to be logical, well-reasoned and applicable to real life. He is not afraid to state his opinion on scripture interpretation, but he backs up his conclusions thoroughly, plus he gives space to respectfully acknowledging those who disagree with him or who have come to a different conclusion than he has.
To purchase, Click the link below which will direct you to Amazon.com. 🙂 LOL!!
1984 by George Orwell
How did I miss reading 1984? I have thought for years that I’ve read this book; that I read it in high school during the renewed interest at that point because the world had reached the actual year of 1984. But I am now thinking, that I had never read it before now because so much of it was unfamiliar to me.
The book, published in 1949, is a startling dystopia of a world destined to collapse individuality and purpose through mental as well as physical torture. Orwell’s vision of Big Brother exerting control through the use of “telescreens” must have been unnerving and unsettling to his readers in that generation. History is continually written, creating new realities that “fit” the vision set by “Big Brother” The power exerted by the unseen forces, leads Winston, the main character, to come to the conclusion that god is power.
I was particularly struck by the use and manipulation of language, through the practice of DoubleSpeak. The definition of Doublespeak is:
Doublespeak (sometimes called doubletalk) is any language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words, resulting in a communication bypass. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms (e.g., “downsizing” for layoffs), intentional ambiguity, or the reversal of meaning (for example, calling war “peace”, or maintaining the status quo “change”)
Language and words are powerful tools. To actively reverse the meaning of words in Doublespeak, nearly seems criminal to me, in itself. But that may be because of my love of words and language.
Is it a worthwhile read? Yes, most definitely. However I think the edge or shock value that it would produce in the 21st century is significantly lower, then the impact it had at the time of its publication. Still yet, it is a power statement of man’s quest for power and control.
Orwell writes “People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized was the usual word.”
In such a world, identity is lost. Life becomes a lengthy agony of fear and the sense of being hunted. To have your very existence denied and then the history of you, of your very soul and personhood obliterated is a hell that yields nothing except meaningless imitation of living.
That said, this book, in a way reminds me of a passage in Ecclesiastes 1:1-11. Solomon is lamenting the absence of contentment and purpose, though he has searched hard for fulfillment. In verse 11, in concludes his soliloquy by stating these words that come very close to summing up the reality in 1984:
“There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after”