A Journey Through Books...
Sivinkit commented about balancing what we read on one of my recent posts. I couldn't help but think about the books that I used to read, so maybe I will just let my mind wander a little and ponder about it. Maybe I should begin from my childhood years, and perhaps form a sort of timeline. I have this hunch that the books I have read are going to follow themes; themes that change as I grow older. And the journey begins…
I can remember the books I would always ask my dad to get for me; anything that had the word ‘Dinosaur’ on it! I loved those creatures, partly due to the wonder that they inspired. The mysteries that surrounded these extinct creatures, as well as the thought that we will never fully comprehend them, that we can always let our imagination run wild when we think of them, would cast their spell on me. Then came the Enid Blytons (many of those from my generation will remember ‘The Enchanted Wood’ series very well!), the ‘Famous Fives’, the ‘Hardy Boys’ and ‘the Three Investigators’. Again, it’s the wonder and the mystery. ‘Jurassic Park’ would become my favorite book in Standard 6.
I began reading Christian books in secondary school. The first Christian books that I read (if I don’t count the Bible) would be on the end times (mostly speculation material), and on the occult. I would be so interested in what kind of music was ‘satanic’ and how credit cards will be the mark of the beast in the future. Looking back, I wonder why I even opened those books! I also loved to read on apologetics, hoping that I could learn to defend my faith better. I bought books that offered historical and scientific evidences for Christianity. I began reading a few fantasy novels at the end of secondary school, notably ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and the ‘Deathgate Cycle’ series.
It was in university that I began reading more. I began to spend more money on books too! Since I was a CG leader, I would buy a lot of resources for CG leaders. ‘Leading Life-Changing Small Groups’, ‘Ideas for Small Groups’, ‘How to be a Small Group Leader’, and lots of Bible study materials. I would also read a lot about leadership, the most notable ones being ‘In the Name of Jesus’ by Henri Nouwen and ‘Spiritual Leadership’ by Oswald Sanders. Being very passionate about evangelism then, I read ‘Becoming a Contagious Christian’ by Bill Hybels. My love for mystery and wonder would lead me on forays into the realms of cosmology and quantum mechanics with ‘A Brief History of Time’ and other works by Stephen Hawking. Science fiction also came into the picture. My favorites include works by Philip K. Dick, the ‘Dune’ saga by Frank Herbert, and ‘Flowers for Algernon’ by Daniel Keyes. I was exposed to really weird but ingenious ideas then, and I realized how science fiction often brought out the best in writers, especially those who came up with very original ideas. Somewhere in between, Annette inspired me to enjoy studying the Bible through her Bible study sessions, and that had me buying Bible commentaries, Bible dictionaries and other references. Hermeneutics and exegesis became my obsession! Three books that have helped me greatly (and continues to do so) are ‘How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth’, ‘How to Read the Bible Book by Book’ and ‘Jesus the Messiah’.
By the time I graduated, there was already a shift in my book tastes. I began to enjoy books that helped me in my spiritual formation. Phillip Yancey’s ‘I was Just Wondering’ and ‘Finding God in Unexpected Places’, as well as Ken Gire’s ‘The Reflective Life’ challenged me to live a more contemplative life, as well as to be aware of God in circumstances, people and my surroundings. Ravi Zacharias’ ‘Recapture the Wonder’ and Ruth McGinnis’ autobiography ‘Breathing Freely’ taught me to appreciate this gift of life. I then began to show interest in Catholic writings after reading Henri Nouwen’s ‘Road to Daybreak’, and ‘The Greatest Gift’ so I decided to listen to people like Thomas Merton for awhile.
Then came the ‘A New Kind of Christian’ trilogy (and McLaren’s other writings), which challenged my thinking and aroused my curiosity so much that I began to move into the area of theology and Christian history as I tried to find out more. ‘The Story of Christianity: 2000 years of faith’ was a good introduction. But it only made me even more curious to find out about this rich heritage.
So where will the journey take me next? There are already books that I am targeting. Richard Foster’s ‘Streams of Living Water’, Walter Brueggemann’s ‘The Prophetic Imagination’ and Stanley Grenz’s ‘Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom’. Oh yes, not to forget Henri Nouwen’s ‘the Wounded Healer’ and ‘The Way of the Heart’ (my birthday is coming soon… ahem, ahem!).
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to show off my books and brag about how much I’ve read (I just couldn’t resist it!), I wonder if someone is going to come along and say something like: Couldn’t you have used your money on something else; like giving it to the poor and needy? Hmmm… Well… No! I’m a selfish, materialistic and narcissistic guy who just loves to read! May God have mercy on me! :P hahaha… jokes aside, I do wonder…
I can remember the books I would always ask my dad to get for me; anything that had the word ‘Dinosaur’ on it! I loved those creatures, partly due to the wonder that they inspired. The mysteries that surrounded these extinct creatures, as well as the thought that we will never fully comprehend them, that we can always let our imagination run wild when we think of them, would cast their spell on me. Then came the Enid Blytons (many of those from my generation will remember ‘The Enchanted Wood’ series very well!), the ‘Famous Fives’, the ‘Hardy Boys’ and ‘the Three Investigators’. Again, it’s the wonder and the mystery. ‘Jurassic Park’ would become my favorite book in Standard 6.
I began reading Christian books in secondary school. The first Christian books that I read (if I don’t count the Bible) would be on the end times (mostly speculation material), and on the occult. I would be so interested in what kind of music was ‘satanic’ and how credit cards will be the mark of the beast in the future. Looking back, I wonder why I even opened those books! I also loved to read on apologetics, hoping that I could learn to defend my faith better. I bought books that offered historical and scientific evidences for Christianity. I began reading a few fantasy novels at the end of secondary school, notably ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and the ‘Deathgate Cycle’ series.
It was in university that I began reading more. I began to spend more money on books too! Since I was a CG leader, I would buy a lot of resources for CG leaders. ‘Leading Life-Changing Small Groups’, ‘Ideas for Small Groups’, ‘How to be a Small Group Leader’, and lots of Bible study materials. I would also read a lot about leadership, the most notable ones being ‘In the Name of Jesus’ by Henri Nouwen and ‘Spiritual Leadership’ by Oswald Sanders. Being very passionate about evangelism then, I read ‘Becoming a Contagious Christian’ by Bill Hybels. My love for mystery and wonder would lead me on forays into the realms of cosmology and quantum mechanics with ‘A Brief History of Time’ and other works by Stephen Hawking. Science fiction also came into the picture. My favorites include works by Philip K. Dick, the ‘Dune’ saga by Frank Herbert, and ‘Flowers for Algernon’ by Daniel Keyes. I was exposed to really weird but ingenious ideas then, and I realized how science fiction often brought out the best in writers, especially those who came up with very original ideas. Somewhere in between, Annette inspired me to enjoy studying the Bible through her Bible study sessions, and that had me buying Bible commentaries, Bible dictionaries and other references. Hermeneutics and exegesis became my obsession! Three books that have helped me greatly (and continues to do so) are ‘How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth’, ‘How to Read the Bible Book by Book’ and ‘Jesus the Messiah’.
By the time I graduated, there was already a shift in my book tastes. I began to enjoy books that helped me in my spiritual formation. Phillip Yancey’s ‘I was Just Wondering’ and ‘Finding God in Unexpected Places’, as well as Ken Gire’s ‘The Reflective Life’ challenged me to live a more contemplative life, as well as to be aware of God in circumstances, people and my surroundings. Ravi Zacharias’ ‘Recapture the Wonder’ and Ruth McGinnis’ autobiography ‘Breathing Freely’ taught me to appreciate this gift of life. I then began to show interest in Catholic writings after reading Henri Nouwen’s ‘Road to Daybreak’, and ‘The Greatest Gift’ so I decided to listen to people like Thomas Merton for awhile.
Then came the ‘A New Kind of Christian’ trilogy (and McLaren’s other writings), which challenged my thinking and aroused my curiosity so much that I began to move into the area of theology and Christian history as I tried to find out more. ‘The Story of Christianity: 2000 years of faith’ was a good introduction. But it only made me even more curious to find out about this rich heritage.
So where will the journey take me next? There are already books that I am targeting. Richard Foster’s ‘Streams of Living Water’, Walter Brueggemann’s ‘The Prophetic Imagination’ and Stanley Grenz’s ‘Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom’. Oh yes, not to forget Henri Nouwen’s ‘the Wounded Healer’ and ‘The Way of the Heart’ (my birthday is coming soon… ahem, ahem!).
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to show off my books and brag about how much I’ve read (I just couldn’t resist it!), I wonder if someone is going to come along and say something like: Couldn’t you have used your money on something else; like giving it to the poor and needy? Hmmm… Well… No! I’m a selfish, materialistic and narcissistic guy who just loves to read! May God have mercy on me! :P hahaha… jokes aside, I do wonder…
posted by sojourner @ Thursday, July 21, 2005
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