July Book Log

Lots of reading this month, from a 1500+ page theological tome to a bunch of X-Men comics (and everything in between.) Take a look!

4 Articles I Like This Month

"Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Master Auctioneer" by Katy Vine, Texas Monthly. 24 minutes.

A fun look at the life of professional auctioneers as told by someone who took a class to learn how to do it herself.

"Why Baseball Is Losing Black America" by Stephanie Apstein, Sports Illustrated. 7 minutes.

Baseball, which celebrates Jackie Robinson Day every year, has fewer black players now than in decades, with black players making up only 7.7% of the league. Preston Wilson, a retired second-generation ballplayer, has some ideas on what MLB needs to do to turn things around.

"At Times, I Don't Think I'm Worthy" by Nic Garcia, The Dallas Morning News, 7 minutes. 

An intimate, heartbreaking look at the life of someone struggling to get by, aided by food banks and aid programs, during the pandemic.

"Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation" by John Lewis, The New York Times. 2 minutes.

This essay, penned by congressman and Civil Rights icon John Lewis days before his death and published on the day of his funeral, gives the American people what Bill Clinton accurately called our "marching orders": "stand up, speak up, and speak out" for freedom.

PAUL AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD by N.T. Wright

N.T. Wright has spent the bulk of his career advocating for the so-called "New Perspective" on Pauline theology, arguing that Paul should not be regarded as the teacher of a new Gentile religion, but as a first-century Pharisee who understood Jesus to be the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel and therefore to the world. It is with that understanding that Wright lays out his understanding of Paul and his theology in the two-volume Paul and the Faithfulness of God, the fourth and latest installment in his series on "Christian Origins and the Question of God."

As he did in the previous three volumes, Wright here argues that in order to fully understand Paul's writings, you must read them in the context in which they were written, when Roman government ruled and Hellenistic philosophy and culture prevailed but Judaism remained nevertheless defined and relatively separate. When you do so, aspects of Paul's theology become fuller—for example, when Paul boldly proclaims that Jesus is Lord, the implicit second half of that sentence is "and Caesar is not."

It is by reading in this context that Wright is able to show the limits of the Reformed understanding of Paul that dates back to Luther and Calvin and argue for an understanding of the New Testament that fulfills the Old Testament instead of essentially disregarding it. Wright reads Paul in light of the critical touchstones of first century Judaism, and in every instance sees Jesus fulfilling God's promises to Israel: Jesus brings about new creation, Jesus offers a new exodus, Jesus ushers in the new covenant, and Jesus is the return from exile. It's a compelling, persuasive case.

While this was not my favorite volume in the series (that award goes to The Resurrection of the Son of God), it does cover the most ground, and can truly be regarded as wright magnum opus. At 1520 pages of content plus another 100+ pages of indexes and back matter, it is a massive undertaking for writer and reader alike, but one worthy of the time. Should he complete the next (and final?) volume, I will be first in line to purchase it.

THE POWER AND THE GLORY by Graham Greene

Arguably the most famous work by arguably the most famous Catholic novelist, The Power and the Glory had a high bar to clear when I began it this month—I was expecting a novel with plenty to say about sin, salvation, and life. To my delight, the book largely met my expectations, with a thematically poignant tale told well by Graham Greene.

The Power and the Glory is the story of a so-called "whisky priest" whose personal indulgences (primarily alcoholism and sex) contrast with his heightened sense of integrity and penitence. In 1930s Mexico, when Catholicism is stifled by the Mexican government, he alone remains willing to administer the sacraments, and finds himself on the run for doing so. Pursued by a Javert-like lieutenant, the unnamed priest finds himself caught between his duty to God and the weakness of his flesh until a final confrontation with his own mortality establishes once and for all who he really is underneath.

In Greene's capable hands, the book is rarely dull and wastes no time, nor does it sacrifice story for theme (a pet peeve of mine in a lot novels). The best novels have the ability to make you feel and think, and The Power and the Glory certainly does both—indeed, when the protagonist meets his fate, it's one of the more affecting climaxes I've read in a while. I would certainly recommend this book, and especially to readers who appreciate spiritual themes in novels. 

ONLY THE BALL WAS WHITE by Robert Peterson

Was the Negro Leagues a tragedy? Of course—its very existence was owed to baseball's unofficial but rigorously upheld color line, which kept black ballplayers out of the major leagues for decades until Jackie Robinson finally broke through in 1947. Was the Negro Leagues a triumph? Absolutely—told they couldn't play with white players, black players formed a league organized and profitable enough that it was one of the nation's foremost black businesses during its heyday.

But mostly, the Negro Leagues was a great story, and Only the Ball Was White, Robert Peterson's 1970 classic history of black baseball up to that point, does a splendid job telling that story. Alternating between chapters telling the linear history of black baseball starting in the 19th century and miniature biographies of black baseball's icons (Rube Foster, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, etc.), the book gives a splendid overview. And the appendix, which provides a few paragraphs about dozens of the Negro Leagues' most notable players, is an excellent reference point for baseball historians wanting to know the basics about some of baseball's underappreciated stars.

As a historical work, Only the Ball Was White has been surpassed in the 50 years since its publication, thanks to the hard work of researchers at SABR (The Society of American Baseball Research), the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, among many others. However, Only the Ball Was White was the catalyst that began a renewal of interest in historic black baseball, and it remains an important, fascinating, and entertaining read. In this year when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues' founding, do yourself a favor and give this book a read.

THE SPORTSWRITER by Richard Ford

The Sportswriter is a thoughtful, melancholy novel about a sportswriter who can't seem to get his life on track following the death of his son and divorce from his wife. Though a decent man on the exterior, Frank Bascombe is trapped in his own mind, and his introspection leads to a serious of selfish choices one the Easter weekend in which the novel takes place. Nevertheless, by the novel's end you can't help but see some quiet dignity in Frank even as he flails his way through life's small tragedies and triumphs.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The premise—a serious novel about an introspective sportswriter—was catnip for me, since "introspective sportswriter" is exactly what I wanted to be until was called into ministry. Furthermore, Richard Ford is an excellent writer, who beautifully communicates what Frank is thinking throughout the story.

However, the melancholy tone of the book started to drag me down the more I read, to the point where I wanted the book to end more than I wanted to read it. And while the book's lack of dynamic plot is something good enough character work can overcome, by page 300 I was getting a little bored. All in all, Richard Ford is a writer I'll keep my eye on, but The Sportswriter isn't a book I plan to revisit.

ESSENTIAL CLASSIC X-MEN VOL. 3 by Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart, Neal Adams, Tom Sutton, et al.

After years of mediocrity, the X-Men were seemingly doomed for cancellation by the dawn of the 1970s—as I described last month, the book never really got much traction and was creatively inferior to most of the other superhero titles Marvel was putting out in the Silver Age of the 1960s. But with its dying breaths, writer Roy Thomas and new artist Neal Adams (who would go on to greater fame with his Batman work in the 1970s) rejuvenated the book and pulled no punches before its demise.

In their 10 issues on the book, Thomas and Adams introduced characters like Havok and Polaris, pitted the X-Men up against the pterodactyl-like Sauron and a revived Sentinels program (whose design Adams perfected), and most importantly, never let up on the gas. Driven by the dynamic art of Adams, who also did most of the plotting, these stories are worlds better than anything else the book had seen up to that point, including the early Stan Lee-Jack Kirby stories. Unfortunately, the title was too far gone by that time, and died its untimely death after issue #66, resorting to reprints for years until the dawn of the "All-New, All-Different X-Men" in 1975.

This volume concludes with an X-Men-adjacent run, Steve Englehart and Tom Sutton's stories from Amazing Adventures about the Beast following his departure from the team. It is in these stories that he acquires his now-familiar furry appearance, the result of an experiment gone awry. While this change is important to the history of the X-Men, the stories aren't particularly memorable and can be skipped by all but completists.

Though my favorite volume of the three Classic X-Men Essentials, this third book serves as confirmation that the X-Men title's cancellation was warranted—despite good ideas and the occasionally impressive creative run, the brass at Marvel never quite figured out what they wanted from this team. It would remain for another generation to revive the merry mutants and bring them to new heights.

ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL. 1 by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, Terry Austin, et al.

This is when the X-Men got good.

After several years of printing nothing but reprints, the X-Men title was revived in 1975 with a brand new team—not a merry band of teenagers this time, but a diverse group of grown-up mutants under the leadership of Professor X and Cyclops, two holdovers from the Silver Age team. When you think about the X-Men, these are the characters you think of first: Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and, of course, Wolverine.

And let me tell you, it worked pretty much from the first issue. With writer Chris Claremont at the helm and first Dave Cockrum and the John Byrne on art duty, these comics are modern, dynamic, and fun from the get-go. As the team takes on old foes (Magneto, Juggernaut, Sauron) and meets new allies and antagonists (the Shi'ar, Alpha Flight, the Starjammers), the action never stops and you get to know and love the new heroes more with every issue.

With interesting plots, fun characters, and stellar art (John Byrne was the premiere artist in comics at this time, and this is his peak), these are the comics that made the X-Men a household name. And stay tuned...it only gets better in volume 2.

Sweet and Sour Speech (Friday Devotional)

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.

- Ephesians 4:29

When Lindsey and I were making oatmeal for breakfast the other day, she grabbed what she thought was the canister of cinnamon only to realize it was actually chili powder. Needless to say, she put it back!

It got me thinking about which things on the spice rack would and would not make oatmeal taste better. Brown sugar? Yes. Garlic powder? No. Nutmeg? Yes. Basil? No. Vanilla? Yes. Curry? No. There are plenty of options, but while some would improve the taste of the oatmeal, others would make it decidedly worse.

In the same way, your words have the effect of improving or worsening your Christian witness. Some words can be like chili powder in oatmeal—they grab attention, but none of it is good. When believers use words to belittle people, to gossip, or to traffic in untruths, it can only hurt the cause of Christ.

But words have positive power too, and they can bring joy as easily as pain. An encouraging comment can be a light for someone who is struggling in darkness. Truth spoken with kindness can turn people from cynicism. A heartfelt prayer can bring power and peace. Like the brown sugar I put in my oatmeal, well-chosen words can make things better.

In an age when mass communication has never been more seamless, your words have more reach and carry more weight than ever before. So even when others engage in divisive bickering and conspiracy mongering, may Christians’ speech be useful for building up instead of breaking down. What you say may be the first taste people get of the gospel—so may your words not bear the bitterness of sin, but the sweetness of grace.

The Only Real Choice (Friday Devotional)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

- John 14:6

The other day I went digging through my toolbox for a flathead screwdriver to replace a battery in one of the kids’ toys. It only took a second for me to find one that I thought would do the job, but as I walked back in the house, I realized it was actually a Phillips head, not a flathead. So I turned around and went back to find the right tool. Again I pulled out a screwdriver that I thought would work, but again it was a Phillips head. Finally on the third try I found what I was looking for—not just any screwdriver, but one that would do what I needed.

You run into situations like that all the time, occasions where specificity is important, where having a lot of options isn’t as important as having the one thing you need. That’s important to remember spiritually too, because while the Lord shows us a narrow path to salvation, the world offers a host of broader ones—and we need to remember what it is we actually need.

Jesus said he is the way, that obeying his words and following his example and walking with him is the correct approach to life. But our world offers a multitude of alternative ways which promise power and fame and wealth.

Jesus says he is the truth, that you will know what’s right if you know him. But our culture tells a different story, one in which your understanding of truth is filtered through your opinions and is influenced (if not determined outright) by those who share your ideology.

Jesus says he is the life, that ultimate fulfillment is found through faith in him and fellowship with him. But the world adamantly refuses to believe it, and is always trying to convince you to imagine, build, and buy your way to something better.

But for all the alternative ways, truths, and lives the world has to offer, none do what Jesus does—none reconcile us to the God who created, loves, and redeems us. This world’s ways can bring momentary happiness but not eternal rest, its truths can bring earthly perspective but not divine wisdom, and its lives eventually end where life with God never does.

Sometimes it’s nice to have a lot of choices, but other times all those options just block your way to what you’re really after. So in a world loaded with options, may you not be so dazzled by the choices that you forget what you need—or in whom you find it.

Opportunity and Responsibility (Friday Devotional)

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

- Galatians 5:13-14

In the early years of my marriage, grocery shopping was one of my domestic responsibilities. So on a typical week, Lindsey and I would sit down together on Sunday or Monday night and figure out our meals for the week, and from there I’d put together the grocery list. But every now and then, we wouldn’t have time to meal plan together, and Lindsey would give me carte blanche: “get whatever you think sounds good.”

So I’d end up in the middle of HEB with a choice: would I shop for what Lindsey would like, or for what I wanted? If I shopped with her in mind, the grocery cart would be filled like you might expect: a box of pasta, a gallon of milk, a loaf of fresh bread, and lots of fresh produce…you know, the kind of food that bonafide grownups eat. My list, on the other hand, might as well have been written by an 8-year old: ice cream, chips, Dr Pepper, and frozen pizza. The decision of what to buy boiled down to how I viewed the freedom Lindsey had given me—was it an opportunity or a responsibility?

In Galatians, Paul writes a great deal about how the salvation which is ours in Christ sets us free. Having been enslaved by sin, the cross frees us to life in the Spirit. Having once been restricted by God’s Law (and, more specifically, by its legalistic interpreters), we now live under God’s grace. Paul is clear that when we say we are saved, that also means we are free.

But our freedom in Christ is not meant to be an excuse for selfishness, but an opportunity for service. Having been freed from sin’s slavery, we are called to nevertheless “become slaves to one another” in love, to deny ourselves as Christ commanded and willingly give of ourselves for the sake of others. Freedom is given by God for a distinct purpose: to love your neighbor as yourself.

In a society that values rugged individualism, freedom is a natural part of our vocabulary. But believers in Christ must understand what kind of freedom God has given us, a freedom that looks to serve others before gratifying yourself. “I can do whatever I want” is a child’s definition of freedom, not a Christian’s.

In a time when we need to look out for each other more than ever, we must understand freedom not as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but as a responsibility to serve. We must understand freedom in biblical terms instead of political terms, as a divine calling instead of a legal right. We must regard our freedom as a responsibility to others instead of using it as a shield against that responsibility. Because as I decided in the aisles of HEB, freedom can bring you quick gratification—but it’s far more powerful when you use it for love.

One at a Time (Friday Devotional)

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!

- Mark 1:40-41

The 2017 film Justice League was, for this superhero fan, a pretty big disappointment. Sloppy storytelling, a bloated plot, an uncompelling villain, and a general lack of vision all contributed to it bombing with critics, fans, and at the box office. If you want to hear me rant about Justice League’s flaws, be sure to grab a bite to eat first—it’ll take a while.

But there is one redeeming moment from the movie that’s been on my mind this week. In the scene, Flash, a novice to the hero game, is hiding in the shadows with Batman as the evil Steppenwolf and his army of parademons menace some innocent bystanders. As he listens to Steppenwolf’s threats, Flash confesses to Batman, “I can’t be here. It’s really cool that you all seem ready to do battle and stuff, but—full transparency—I’ve never done battle. I’ve just pushed some people and run away!”

Batman, without a moment’s hesitation, offers the overwhelmed Flash this simple advice: “Save one. Save one person.”

I’ve been thinking about that scene a lot lately because these days I think we can all identify with how Flash felt in that moment. Everyone feels in over their head as we navigate this pandemic, everyone is wondering what they’re supposed to do. We want to be lights in the darkness, we want to be good neighbors, but even making a dent in the vast array of problems we face seems like an insurmountable task.

I think Jesus would cosign Batman’s advice: start by helping one person. When you look at Jesus’s ministry, you don’t see him packing stadiums or filling megachurches; rarely does he seem overly concerned with how many people he’s helping at once. Far more often, Jesus’s love is shown on a person-to-person basis: healing with a touch, teaching through a private conversation, calling disciples one or two at a time.

In a culture that prizes efficiency, we’re wired to look for sweeping solutions and grand initiatives to solve problems—we want to help as many people in as little time with as few resources as possible. But ministry isn’t about efficiency, it’s about sharing Good News—and it doesn’t need to be in front of a crowd to count.

So if you’ve found yourself looking for a way to make an impact but don’t know where to start, let me encourage you to follow the example of the Savior, the command of Scripture, and, yes, the advice of the Dark Knight. Help one person. Start there.

A Little with a Lot (Friday Devotional)

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

- Luke 21:1-4

For the past two days, Major League Baseball players have been back at work for “Summer Camp,” a.k.a Spring Training 2.0 a.k.a three weeks of practice before the beginning of the strangest baseball season anyone’s ever seen. On July 23 (pandemic permitting), teams will suit up for a “full season” of 60 games instead of 162. A baseball season is usually a summer-long marathon; this one will be a sprint.

In a normal season, a 5-game losing streak is inevitable for even the best teams. This year that kind of slump could sink a season. In a typical year, a batter who goes a week without a hit will get several more weeks to iron things out; this year he could be benched. In a way that normally isn’t true until the playoffs, this season every game is important. What would normally count for a little counts for a lot.

That’s an attitude Jesus seems to apply in the story above, when he commends a poor widow (and implicitly rebukes the wealthy religious leaders of the day) because, in placing a meager 2 mites in the temple treasury, “she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” While the widow’s gift is numerically nothing special, Jesus recognizes that her circumstances make her gift far more impressive than the offerings of those with an abundance. What would normally count for a little counts for a lot.

Thanks to the pandemic, right now we are living through a time when we have all been reduced, in a manner of speaking, to some kind of poverty. For those who have lost work because of the pandemic, it may be literal poverty. For others, it is a poverty of time, as you find yourself busier and more burdened than ever. And for virtually everyone, there is a poverty of joy—when every day brings another record-setting number of positive cases, when projections point to a long and painful summer, when a vaccine feels like a distant hope, few of us are smiling our way through the day.

In such a difficult time, the natural response of most is to adopt an every-man-for-himself mentality, to hang on to what you have for as long as you can. The only way to survive, it seems, is to cling for dear life to what’s precious and let other people worry about other people. After all, the thinking goes, I only have so much to give.

But I want to encourage you to look at what you have through the gracious eyes of Christ, who looks at meagerness and sees majesty. Because right now, in a time of cynicism, fear, and exhaustion, seemingly insignificant gifts are being magnified. Small gestures of kindness are resonating loudly in this season of isolation; acts of thoughtfulness are cutting through the noise like a spotlight in a dark theater. What normally counts for a little counts for a lot.

For people whose eternities were secured on an old rugged cross, we should know better than most how much God can do with seemingly meager means. In a time where self-interest is the status quo, may you turn the tables and bear witness to grace—no matter how little you think you have to offer.