Finding Our Way - Remembering old friends

Finding Our Way

Apr. 28, 2006

Remembering old friends

The educational philosopher and advocate of "Great Books" and "Great Ideas", Mortimer Adler, said in his book, How to read a book, that the well-read person is not necessarily one who has read lots and lots of books on all manner of subjects, but rather one who has become so intimately acquainted with four or five authors that he or she now knows those writers and their ideas intimately. Running into one of my "old friends" a few days ago got me thinking about this whole matter of being "well read" again.

Our church housegroup is currently reading a book from Richard Foster's "Renovare" that explores excerpts of great Christian classics over the past centuries. We were looking at the idea of the church as community, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book, Life Together, was the selected reading. When I was doing my Biblical Studies degree 20 years ago, Bonhoeffer and I became intimately acquainted. My final paper was on his approach to Christianity in the 20th century. I think I have a copy of everything he ever wrote that has been translated into English. Reading parts of his great little book again reawakened my appreciation of his genius, his spiritual insight, and his desire to be obedient to Christ and his call to a life of discipleship.

Around the same time, I pulled The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis off the shelf and read that again for the first time in a lot of years. My reaction was, "Man, why have I left C.S. alone for so long?" I had a semester class on Lewis at university and was thoroughly immersed in him. I am now in the process of reacquainting myself with his classics and some of his lesser known essays. It's all great stuff.

My other old friends include John Wesley and Oswald Chambers, who I believe is one of the greatest spiritual thinkers of the 20th century. I also love Hudson Taylor when it comes to missionaries and missionary philosophy. I have more biographies of him than I could accurately mention. Recently I have been reading the early church fathers, so I can add John Chrysostom and Athanasius to my list of new friends. Because I have been exploring the spiritual writings of the Russian and Eastern Orthodox church lately, I am also developing a good relationship with a man named Theophan the Recluse who has some great thoughts on the Christian life and living in union with God.

When it comes to literature, my bestest buddies are Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, John Steinbeck, and of course, William Shakespeare. It's now fun to see my children build their own literary friendships. My son is totally into J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and my daughter is developing a love for L.M. Montgomery and Louisa May Alcott.

It's good to take a minute and remember the spiritual and literary influences we have had over the years. I think the retrospect gives us a sense of where we've been but also where we're going. Those foundations are what we build upon. Who are some of your "old friends"? Who are some of your new ones? What impact have they had on your life?

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Comments

Apr. 28, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by jayfromcleveland

Bruce, I've read the collected works of Francis Schaeffer and we have the "How Should We Then Live" video series. I wish I could have known this man personally, he's such an inspiration to me. Like Jack Lewis, Schaeffer put some brains in Christianity and made profound observations on our culture, past and present. But Schaeffer was "closer to home," being more a contemporary and as an American evangelical, spoke to the trends of my own lifetime. Every so often, I reread his "How Should We Then Live" and have given copies to friends.

A non-Christian observer of modern culture who I enjoy is Neil Postman. Though a secular Jew from NYC, Postman made a lot of observations that resonate with a Biblical worldview. His main program is that technology, particularly media, is dumbing down our culture and making us ill-equipped for the responsibilities that accompany freedom. Every Christian homeschooler should read "Disappearance of Childhood," "Technopoly" and "Amusing Ourselves to Death."

I also like P.J. O'Rourke. P.J. is no Christian, but he is a very witty raconteur who directs his considerable Irish wit at hippy liberal types to my great amusement. I don't read very many things that make me laugh out loud, so that's why I'm always pleased when P.J. releases a new book. "All the Trouble in the World," P.J.'s harangue on environmentalists, is especially hilarious.

I've also enjoyed the writings of famous scientists of history. Galileo is a great read. He wrote in the vernacular (Italian) rather than scholarly Latin, and his "Dialogue" is actually laugh-out-loud funny. Now you see how he got in such trouble with the church, by getting everyone laughing at "St. Aristotle."

great topic! -j

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Apr. 28, 2006 - Thanks Jay!

Posted by Garrisongang

Thanks for the comment Jay. I can't remember where I saw it. It might have been in Charles Colson's book "Against the Night: Living in the new dark ages"; but somebody recommended Postman's book "Amusing ourselves to Death". I'll have to pick that up. I would recommend Colson's book in turn. I got Mr. Suarez to pick up a copy after he got back to the USA from here. It's 20 years old, but Colson had some insight as to what was coming, much of which is now here. Thanks for the input.

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Apr. 28, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by debdillon

Hmm. I don't have much to add to your excellent list - although I've never read Boenheffer (I was only a Lutheran for 5 years!). Tolkien - what can I say - I'm going through my 4-5th time through LOTR's and its like coming back to old friends. I'll never get tired of reading those.

There are only a few books of Frederick Buechner I haven't liked (fiction and non-fiction). Dorothy Sayer's Wimsey and Agatha Christie books also have that "old friend" feeling when I re-read them.

Deb

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May. 2, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by BattlementsofRubies

My favourite novel is Silas Marner by George Eliot. I first read it when I was 17 and it has never been supplanted in my affections. I remember crying while I was reading it on the Tube.When I finished the book I felt real pangs of loss, and for a long time I often thought about Silas, Eppie, Dolly Winthrop and all the other good folk of Raveloe.
Chapter 19 is memorable ( its the one I cried over) Here's a snippet:

"But I know now, father," said Eppie. "If it hadn't been for you, they'd have taken me to the workhouse, and there'd have been nobody to love me."

"Eh, my precious child, the blessing was mine. If you hadn't been sent to save me, I should ha' gone to the grave in my misery. The money was taken away from me in time; and you see it's been kept-- kept till it was wanted for you. It's wonderful--our life is wonderful."

Silas sat in silence a few minutes, looking at the money. "It takes no hold of me now," he said, ponderingly--"the money doesn't. I wonder if it ever could again--I doubt it might, if I lost you, Eppie. I might come to think I was forsaken again, and lose the feeling that God was good to me."

Eppie, the result of a secret marriage between the squire and a "low born" woman, had been found abandoned by Silas as a 2 year old. He was a mistrustful recluse whose only friend was his horde of gold. Driven mad by the theft of his treasure, he runs out into the snow and finds instead little Eppie. The love of and for the little girl transforms and restores him. Towards the end of the book, the reformed squire and his childless wife come to claim Eppie and offer her the life of ease that should have been her birthright. Her speech would move even the stoniest heart. here's another taste:

"I can't feel as I've got any father but one," said Eppie, impetuously, while the tears gathered. "I've always thought of a little home where he'd sit i' the corner, and I should fend and do everything for him: I can't think o' no other home. I wasn't brought up to be a lady, and I can't turn my mind to it. I like the working-folks, and their victuals, and their ways. And," she ended passionately, while the tears fell, "I'm promised to marry a working-man, as'll live with father, and help me to take care of him."

Oh, there I go again, (sniff ) I just love that book!

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Our blog looks at homeschooling in light of the classic writers of theology and literature, and how we find our way to Christ-like living by applying it to all aspects of our lives.