This is the 3rd in my series of posts on books I have been reading this year. The following books, podcasts and documentaries are from weeks 13-18. As before, I am making brief comments on each book, and have longer notes if you are interested. I want to reiterate that my reports attempt to give neutral summaries of each book, so that I discipline myself to listen to each author, rather than to criticize. I keep reminding myself of the late David Powlison’s question “What does this person see clearly and care about deeply?”
Book #13 was The Company We Keep: In Search of Biblical Friendship by Jonathan Holmes. Holmes asserts that friendship is inherent to our humanity in God’s image. God is a trinitarian God in loving relationships and has made us for relationships. This is not a failure or weakness in humanity that we need relationships. Holmes goes on to specify that the topic of his book is biblical friendship, rather than simply Christian fellowship. He writes, drawing support from the book of Proverbs, that the marks of biblical friendship are constancy, candor, carefulness and counsel. He counsels that we must not settle for virtual friendships (with much of the communication happening over text and email), nor pursue friendships out of selfish motives or simply according to shared interests. We should pursue biblical friendships for the good of others and the glory of God. The book contains helpful practical guidance for how to forge these friendships.
Book #14 was The Kite Runner. This is a novel by Afghan writer Khaled Hossein. He tells the story of Amir, a privileged Pashtun Afghan growing up in the 60’s and 70’s alongside his loyal friend and servant, Hassan, a member of an oppressed ethnicity. Amir fails his friend, Hassan, in an egregious, life changing but secret way, which ruptures their relationship and for which he hates himself thereafter. The book opens in 2001, when Amir now lives in California and receives a phone call from a family friend who tells him, “There is a way to be good again.” It is a book about repentance and atonement for his wrongdoing from a Muslim and non-Christian perspective. It presents a compelling story of both undeserved forgiveness of Hassan coupled with an extreme act of penance on Amir’s part. It is a moving book and I don’t want to give any spoilers here, though I know many of you have read this book already.
Book #15 was Still Time to Care: What We Can Learn From the Church’s Failed Attempt to Cure Homosexuality, by Greg Johnson (2021). There is disagreement among Christians today who in unity affirm that God’s design for marriage is between one man and one woman. The disagreement is on related matters. This book represents one side of the debate, the group connected with Revoice, rather than the group which signed the Nashville Statement. The distinguishing issues that I can discern are over whether a Christian can expect God to eradicate or remove their homosexual desires as they grow in Christ, and what terminology to use in describing themselves (gay Christian versus same-sex attracted Christian, etc.). What also distinguishes the two groups is the approach each takes to minister to those who struggle with same-sex attraction. On the one hand, the Nashville Statement represents those who pursue a change of sexual orientation. Johnson recounts the decades of this kind of ministry by Exodus International and all of its associated ministries and sees little evidence for the removal of homosexual desires, and much resultant shame and discouragement. On the other side, Johnson, and others who didn’t sign the Nashville Statement, assert that an ongoing struggle with sin is an expected part of the normal Christian life, whatever the type of sin, and that the chief concern for ministry is to help the struggler to turn from inevitable temptations. Johnson is writing to encourage churches and Christians in general to care well and sensitively for those struggling, because of the isolation and shame associated with this struggle. He documents that four Christian leaders of the 20th century recognized homosexual orientation, accepted that it would be an ongoing struggle and advocated for sensitive care of Christians who struggle: C. S. Lewis, John Stott, Francis Schaeffer and Billy Graham.
Book #16 is All My Knotted up Life, the recently published memoir of Beth Moore. I have never before read a book by Beth Moore, nor participated in any of her Bible studies. I have heard about her for years, from many friends who have been blessed by her. I have more recently heard about what John MacArthur said about her – “Beth Moore, go home” – and his follow up explanation of his concerns about her teaching ministry crossing the biblical boundaries of teaching ministry for women (October, 2019). Sometime since then she came under criticism from the Southern Baptist Convention after she preached a Sunday morning sermon at a church on the occasion of Mother’s Day. I have subsequently listened to an interview Beth Moore did with John Dickson on his podcast Undeceptions, discussing these events and the release of her memoir. I gleaned some beautiful insights from her memoir, and sympathized with her journey of faith. To the extent that she indicts Trump supporters or men in the SBC, she is explaining her side of the story, which I was glad to hear straight from her. The memoir is beautifully written and well worth reading.
Book #17 is 12 Ways Your Cell Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke. I doubt I need to spell out all twelve ways. Many of us already lament the way we are distracted when we should be attentive to real people in our lives. Besides addiction to distraction, he lists that we ignore our flesh and blood, we crave immediate human approval, we feed on the “produced” and the list goes on. It was not surprising, but it still felt worth reading. Let me know if you want more detailed notes.
For Book #18, I listened to the Good Faith Debate on public schooling versus home/private schooling. (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/goodfaithdebates/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EDITORIAL%20-%20Good%20Faith%20Debates%206%20-%20Nov22&utm_content=EDITORIAL%20-%20Good%20Faith%20Debates%206%20-%20Nov22+CID_6051052ae73927fcae7d7c5532254773&utm_source=&utm_term=Watch%20Now#directory-1-item-5) This was between Jen Wilkin and Jonathan Pennington, moderated by Jim Davis. Jen Wilkin raised five children and sent them all to public schools. Because she and her husband believe in good public education for all, they feel a calling as Christians to be present in their local school system. The presence of Christians and academically driven families in the public school system benefits everyone, in providing both spiritual and academic influence. Public schooling also afforded the Wilkin kids with a more diverse community. Jonathan Pennington raised six children and he and his wife provided a combination of home schooling and Christian schooling for their children. Because he and his wife believe that education is supposed to take people from childishness to adulthood, to love what is true, good and beautiful, and to teach virtue, (a paraphrase of their priorities) they cannot accept that the 15000 hours each child spends in school would be in a non-Christian environment. He humbly admitted that there was little diversity in the school experience of his children, and that the choice to not be involved in public schooling was prioritizing his children over others who might have benefited from their presence. There’s more content than what I have reported, but one thing I loved about this debate (and all the Good Faith debates) was how irenic it was. We should all discuss important topics in the spirit these two brought to this debate!
I am behind in reporting on my reading, because I have been traveling this summer. Nevertheless I have continued to read and am on Book #30! I hope my reports are helpful to someone!