Summer Reading

I've read some interesting books over the Summer I thought I would share with you. For pleasure, I've read a couple of Dean Koontz books. I was excited that he came out with a new installment of the "Odd Thomas" series, which I read in June. I also picked up his book "Life Expectancy" at a thrift store... I never dreamed the words "look out for the clown" would be so prophetic. I also read his new book "The Good Guy" on a trip back from OH earlier this Summer.

I've been reading the CS Lewis Space Trilogy this Summer as well. Although it is fiction, Lewis weaves a strong thread of theology throughout. The whole premise of the series is that the characters visit planets in various stages of their development in relation to God. Planet Earth is known as the "bent planet" because of the disobedience and fall of humankind. In the first book set on Mars (Out of the Silent Planet), the characters encounter a world that is old but uncorrupted by sin. The main character is constantly expecting the worst from the creatures (because of his earth conditioning) but they are nothing but kind to him. All of the ways we have been corrupted begin to come into focus in the light of this untainted society. In the second book, the main character discovers Creation in full bloom on the planet Venus. He finds the Queen of the planet in a struggle with whether she should disobey the one rule of her planet that God has given her. Ultimately, she makes the right decision. I just began the third book called "That Hideous Strength."

This Summer I am leading a book club with the book "The Shack." Although fiction, the book deals with the age old question of where is God in the face of suffering. The book has been incredibly popular this year and has even topped the NY Time bestseller list. I love the line in the book where God says He doesn't fix things...He redeems them.