Recently Read

I recently read Marilynne Robinson’s book “Gilead” (Picador, ISBN 031242440X) I have to confess I started it three times before I was finally able to get past about page 17. And that was the paradox: I was trying to read it way too fast, when the language required a slow and steady pace, with plenty of time to reflect on the words and images. Once I slowed down, I was able to really read the book and glean much more from it than I might otherwise.

John Ames is a preacher in Kansas, advanced in age, writing a serious of reflections to his young son. His father was a preacher too, and things religious hover around most of the stories in the book. Ames lived in a time when there wasn’t much, and that in and of itself is important for a reader now. The book is for those who can at least appreciate a slower pace of life, even if they have not yet attained it.

John Ames has lived a life attuned to the sacramental presence in all things. In no way a superficial naturalism, Ames' theology sees depth where others see only objects. Casseroles are augurs of communion. Napping is an appropriate prelude to prayer. There is a sacred mystery present in sorrow. Dancing in a sprinkler is as miraculous as the waters of baptism. Ames is so keenly aware of the life around him, and it’s critical import, that Feuerbach the Theologian and Soapy the Cat exists side by side in his estimation, and enjoy the same admiration.

There is a wealth of preach-able material here. And there is a wealth of wisdom for anyone looking to sense the greater part of living. Those who multi-task should walk on by. The meaning of the book will be lost on you if you read while doing anything else. Best to find a rocker on an ivy-clad porch, read a few pages and take a nap. Read a few more in a few days, and over the course of time let an attitude of appreciation for all things take root.

Recently Read

I recently finished Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler (ISBN 0060574879). Feiler's purpose in this book is to write about people and places in the Bible while in those places. Thus he writes three large sections on David in Jerusalem, Abraham in Iraq, and Esther in Iran. I was drawn the potent mixture of Feiler's writing about matters of the Bible and travel. In a sense he reminded me of the incredible travel books by Robert D. Kaplan, who has traveled and written extensively around the world. While I love the things of Robert D. Kaplan that I have read, Bruce Feiler brings to the table an added dimension. Feiler writes in a manner that clearly conveys he is a spiritual person, while at the same time in a manner which shows him attempting to delve deeper into the history of his faith, and how time and circumstances have molded that faith.

Feiler melds matter of theology, finely wrought descriptions of potently relevant locales, and history and current geo-political events into a very fine first-person narrative. As such, theologians, travel buffs, historians and poli-sci majors will all find the book sadly wanting. I however, was captivated by the subjects, theology and insights. Though he probably does not consider himself a theologian, Feiler articulates some mighty fine points about Christianity, Judaism and Islam; twenty years after giving up my preaching orders, I found several insights that were imminently "preach-able." In focusing on three such enigmatic characters in the Bible, Feiler has put his finger on an important truth: the people most of us embrace as paragons of our faith not only had their faults, but could even be thought of as really poor models for generations of faithful persons. And writing so intimately about people he has met over several years of travel and writing, reminds me that the great cloud of witnesses up in heaven might be better thought of as a enveloping fog in my own Swannanoa valley.

I was able to visit Israel and Jerusalem in the late 1980's so I could appreciate Feiler's writing about that city. Very, very few people have been to Iraq, especially in the aftermath of 9/11 and the US war in that region. So Feiler's writing about Baghdad and Ur were wonderfully eye-opening for me. The fact that he found a committed and articulate Army chaplain to dialogue with was a bonus. Finally, Iran has for nearly two generations been an utterly shrouded place for us all. Feiler made it in (with his wife no less) and reveals vast treasures, and incredibly heart-wrenching losses, in the land of veils and hostages.

I count myself a deeply devoted Christian, but at the same time hold my faith and its sacred book with an odd mixture of adoration and suspicion. I found in this book the writings of a kindred spirit, I think. Feiler seems at once keenly aware of his place in the world and in his faith tradition and at the same time not at all afraid to take it on and ask the big questions. The book had several incredibly poignant moments, but ultimately was full of hope for people journeying toward deeper faith, for those who seek peace, and for those who know there is more to the people in the history of our faith than what we read about them and their homes in the Bible.