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Summer time Reading
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Dear Friends in Christ,
I hope that you have been enjoying your summer. Our family has had an enjoyable
summer with trips to Avalon, New Jersey and Hilton Head, South Carolina for
vacation. We have also had the opportunity to enjoy swimming and biking outdoors.
When I have not been outside, I have been challenged and entertained by some
good books. Let me share with you a few books that have challenged me this summer.
In the category of Christian books, John R. W. Stott's The Incomparable Christ
has been excellent. Stott was former pastor of All Soul's Church in London.
He is recognized worldwide as a gifted evangelist, preacher, scholar, writer,
and Christian statesman. This book, The Incomparable Christ, presents the many
ways that Jesus is portrayed in the New Testament and throughout church history.
He also writes about how Jesus has inspired people to overcome tremendous difficulties,
sacrifice greatly in the cause for missions, and serve those who are underprivileged.
The Incomparable Christ reads easily and is inspiring. I thoroughly recommend
it and other books by Stott for challenging devotional reading.
Besides reading Christian literature, I have enjoyed other types of literature.
This summer I made my way through Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. I am looking
forward to making my way through J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit and The Lord of the
Rings shortly. While I remember struggling through classic novels in my high
school years, I am finding them now challenging, entertaining, and rewarding.
I heartily recommend classic fiction for the formation of good character and
ethics. These great works of fiction have much to challenge us on our own character
formation.
One other volume that has challenged me this summer is the New York Times Bestseller
Taliban by Ahmed Rashid. Rashid was a Pakistani journalist who covered much
of the fighting in Afghanistan from the time of the Soviet invasion in 1980
until today. He has many surprising things to say about who the Taliban are,
how they came to power, and what the future is for Afghanistan. For example,
did you know that during the reign of the Taliban that Afghanistan produced
50% of the world's heroin and that much of the revenue from heroin was fueling
the Afghan economy? Did you know that Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, is
one of the most heavily mined cities in the world? Did you know that the Taliban
government shut itself down each day at noon? Such occurrences challenge me
as an American about our place in the world. They also encourage me to be thankful
for what I have.
I am hopeful that the summer has given you the opportunity to read as well. Hopefully the summer has allowed you to read through the Bible a little bit more. Hopefully by reading the Scriptures and good literature we will be following in Solomon's command in Proverbs 4:5 to "Get wisdom and get understanding."
May God bless you as you read.
Rev. Dr. Drake Williams