One of the many books I’m currently enjoying.
There was a season in my life when I just felt kinda depressed.
My wife claimed it was because I mostly read books about racism, war, slavery, North Korea, World War Two and historical atrocities. I’m not sure why she thought those things were depressing. But I decided to try fiction.
So I ventured onto an app called good reads and found some new books to try. Good Reads quickly became my favorite type of social media.
Most social media you read a meme or watch a short video and then argue.
On good reads you had to read an entire book to make a point. I like that. But as I delved deeper into popular books written for general consumption, I found a problem.
I would often get about halfway through to find the book promoted all kinds of sinful stuff. Now I am no prude.
Many of you know I spend time with multiple gangs and people in addiction. I’ve prayed with people who apologized for getting “some rock” on my hands. I’ve performed CPR on an overdose victim and I hear salty language constantly.
But I found these books felt insidious in normalizing certain behaviors. And so I searched on.
I found plenty of books aimed at Christian women.
They were tame, historical romance and had thousands of titles to choose from.
But for those of us who were not interested in more romance, we were forced to read super old books, non fiction or the often anti religious fare found in most bookstores.
The search continued. I found a few other authors believers liked, but were Christian adjacent…Mormon.
While many Mormons call themselves Christians, I believe their views are more dangerous than an angry atheist.
Close to truth can actually be worse. Insidious.
I trudged on…
Finally I found an author I could appreciate.
Stephen R. Lawhead. He’s not perfect. He’s an anglophile, with stories involving British, Druids, Scottish and the Irish.
I kept preparing myself for some hidden white supremacy junk. But it never came. Instead His kingly characters reflected the goodness of our KING in heaven.
The books are often dark and violent and draw my attention to unseen battles.
They don’t cause me to hate my non believing neighbor. They cause me to hate the darkness, and more importantly LOVE the LIGHT.
Reading about darkness in Lawhead’s books meant I looked evil in the eye without despairing.
Good was going to win. I knew it. That might bore you. But for someone who needs to be constantly reminded of the goodness of Jesus in the face of the onslaught of evil, you might want to join me by the fire and read a book or two.
If you’ve felt depressed at the state of our world and want something to encourage you, check them out.
If you liked the movie Gladiator but don’t want sexual content.
You might like the books of Stephen R. Lawhead. Also they recently made a show on Amazon based on the first two books of his Merlin series. I’ve not yet seen it so I can’t weigh in.
So if you’d like to read something new with some hope and some battles,
If you loved the battle of Helm’s deep in the Lord of the Rings,
I encourage you to try:
The Song of Albion series.
1. The Paradise War
2. The Silver hand
3. The Endless Knot.
Also I’m nearly done with the third book of the Pendragon Cycle.
1. Taliesin
2. Merlin
3. Arthur
I can’t promise this human author wont have some serious issues in the future, but I wanted to encourage anyone who needed fiction with hope in Jesus today.
Finally, if you DONT like battles and do like Historical Fiction with some romance,
my wife really likes the writings of Francine Rivers, Connilyn cossette and Lynn Austin.
See you at the Library!
-Pastor Dale
PS-
I created a church group on GOOD READS. Join us here.