August Reading Log

Lots of reading at the beginning of the month, less so at the end. Here's what my nose was buried in this August!

3 Articles I Like This Month

"How the Pandemic Defeated America" by Ed Yong, The Atlantic. 34 minutes.

A chronological, blow-by-blow account of all the reasons the U.S. has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sobering look at all the ways our institutions and leaders failed us.

"How to Learn Everything: The MasterClass Diaries" by Irina Dumitrescu, Longreads. 21 minutes.

By now you've likely seen online ads for professionally filmed, slickly produced, celebrity-filmed Master Class series of how-to videos. This article is one writer's account of what she learned, about the series and about herself, by enrolling in 5 of these classes.

"It's Hard to Make Dignity Interesting. Chadwick Boseman Found a Way." by Wesley Morris, The New York Times. 6 minutes.

In the wake of the stunning news of actor Chadwick Boseman's death at age 43, this article briefly and powerfully explains why he connected so deeply with so many.

THE JOURNEY by Billy Graham

Confession: I didn't finish this one. Off the top of my head, this is the 4th Billy Graham book I've read, and likely my last. Billy Graham was a phenomenal preacher, a model servant, and an effective leader, but his writing has consistently left me cold.

The Journey is essentially his tract on struggles in the Christian life, addressing everything from doubt to temptation to grief. The counsel he offers is, as you might expect, both biblical and practical, and easily understandable to the point of sometimes being reductive. Pastors could easily read these chapters and find sermon outlines within them.

But therein lies the problem: the book reads more like a series of sermon outlines than a unified text. Graham's style works well for a sermon, especially given his oratorical prowess, but it bores me to tears when I read it. So after 100+ pages of skimming, I finally admitted defeat and gave up. Anybody who wants my copy is welcome to it—I'll stick to listening to Billy Graham sermons; you can read his books.

THE POST-QUARANTINE CHURCH by Thom S. Rainer

*I wrote a brief review of this book for the Baptist Standard. So as to neither plagiarize nor repeat myself, allow me to simply link to that review here.*

AT CANAAN'S EDGE: AMERICA IN THE KING YEARS 1965-1968 by Taylor Branch

This third and final volume in Taylor Branch's trilogy on the Civil Rights Movement deals with the twilight of that movement as it is overcome by the Vietnam War, divisions with the African-American population, and ultimately an assassin's bullet. Beginning with the initial shock but ultimate triumph of Selma, it continues into Martin Luther King Jr.'s shift to anti-war and anti-poverty activism, where the Civil Rights Movement finally became a truly national movement instead of something confined to the South. By the time of King's assassination, which concludes the book and thus the trilogy, it is clear there is still much progress to be made, something which sadly remains true today.

As in the previous two books, Branch tells the story of the movement with an eye for detail and a focus on key figures like King, Lyndon Johnson, Stokely Carmichael, and others. The book is heavily researched and relies extensively on primary sources newly available at the time of its writing, especially FBI recordings made on orders from J. Edgar Hoover. Readers interested in the movement will learn a lot about the events, strategies, and dynamics of various parties.

If I had one disappointment upon finishing the trilogy, it was that Branch didn't do much biographical work on Martin Luther King. I am fascinated by the man, as are many, and in Branch's hands he remained for the most part a cipher, a Great Man instead of one I came to know and understand. Perhaps sometime in the near future I'll pick up a King biography and see what I can learn.

THE STRANGER by Albert Camus

Between Heart of Darkness in May and now this, I seem to be developing a talent for reading the most depressing books possible during the pandemic. What a fun treat.

The Stranger is an existentialist classic, the story of a man who, following the death of his mother, finds himself walking through the world. Instead of the searing grief he might have expected, he goes on a date after her funeral. His encounters with friends and neighbors show him to be numb to a world that is paying him no mind. The turning point of the story comes when he murders a man on the beach, not out of rage or vengeance, but gnawing annoyance. Even as he is tried, found guilty, and sentenced to execution, this protagonist never descends into despair nor ascends into joy, but remains stuck in an all-consuming malaise.

...sounds fun, right? Admittedly, it's not a beach read. Nevertheless, Camus' brisk, concise prose combined with a consistent (if depressing) theme made this the kind of book I appreciated even when I wasn't enjoying it. It's a novel that wastes no time, pulls no punches, and leaves you thinking by the end. Unlike the aforementioned Heart of Darkness, which was laborious to get through, this was a tale that I still would have finished even if it had been twice as long. Great novels tackle big questions through story, and The Stranger does that in spades.

ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL. 2 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Terry Austin, et al.

Here's the short version: this volume contains the single best creative run the X-Men ever had, and one of the best runs in the history of comics.

Now for the longer version. After Essential X-Men Vol. 1 saw Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum establish the new X-Men team and new artist John Byrne get his feet wet with some introductory stories, things really take off here, culminating in the Dark Phoenix Saga, a story so definitive that it has been adapted to film twice (unfortunately, quite badly.) The story chronicles the corruption, downfall, and redemption of Jean Grey, a founding member of the X-Men who becomes imbued with a power so strong it consumes her. There's a reason filmmakers and animators keep coming back to this well; it's a classic in every sense. Indeed, "Child of Light and Darkness," the saga's penultimate issue, is one of the best single issues I've ever read.

And then, as if that wasn't enough, only a few issues later Claremont and Byrne follow things up with "Days of Future Past," one of the most famous alternate timeline stories ever written (and deservedly so.) In the story, we are introduced to a dark future in which mutants have been all but exterminated by the Sentinels program, which has in turn taken over the American government. Only by altering the present can the X-Men save their future. In just two issues, Claremont and Byrne put on a master class in storytelling and deliver a tale that holds up just as well in 2020 as it did when it debuted 40 years ago.

Chris Claremont would write X-Men comics for 15 years, but this was his peak. John Byrne was arguably the most popular artist of the 1980s, but his work never looked better than these issues. The pair are McCartney and Lennon, brilliant apart but transcendent together. Any fan of superhero comics owes it to themselves to read these issues.

SATCHEL PAIGE: STRIKING OUT JIM CROW by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso

When I bought this in March at my comic shop's shelter-in-place sale, I thought I was purchasing a graphic novel biography of legendary Negro Leagues pitcher Satchel Paige. By the time I finishing reading it, it was clear I was reading something altogether different, a compelling story about life in the Jim Crow South. It wasn't what I signed up for, but I'm glad to have experienced it.

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow tells the story of Emmet, an Alabama sharecropper who played briefly in the Negro Leagues (including against the legendary Paige) before an injury ended his career. With black-and-white, simple cartooning, artist Rich Tomasso shows the bleakness of Emmet's life on the farm, especially when it comes to his relationship with the white farmers who live nearby. Both small acts of prejudice and more dramatic acts of hatred, including a lynching, haunt the story.

The moment of hope comes in the book's final hope, when the titular Paige and his team barnstorm nearby against a team that includes the white farmers. While no longer the force of nature he once was, Paige remains an icon, and his performance serves as a beacon of pride for Emmet and his friends.

As mentioned,, Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow isn't really a baseball book, but a work of historical fiction. Its matter-of-fact look at life in the Jim Crow South is as compelling as it is difficult to read, and Paige's presence in the book acts not as a magical solution, but one shining moment in a time of darkness. Whether you give this to your kids or read it yourself, this book is an easy-to-read, well-written story about Jim Crow that will inform and inspire.

Washed in the Water (Friday Devotional)

 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

- Romans 12:1

At nearly 11 months old, my daughter Katherine is long past the days of being washed in the kitchen sink and now takes baths in the tub just like her big brother. For the most part she’s a big fan, especially when Andrew is there with her. She’ll splash in the water, pull up on the side of the tub, and do it all with a perpetual smile.

Until, that is, it’s time for me to pour water over her head. When that moment comes, whether I trickle it over or dump a bucket’s worth, her eyes get wide and her smile is replaced by a distraught expression. If I do it more than once, she’ll start frantically looking from side to side for an escape and will sometimes start to cry in fear. Every night I’m reminded that she likes a little water, but she doesn’t like it to cover her completely. 

Many people feel the same way about God—they want the Lord to work in some areas of their life, but they don’t want Him everywhere. They’re happy to learn biblical principles about family but get indignant when Scripture addresses their finances. They want to receive encouragement from their church but reject accountability. Their appetite for God’s Word extends only as far as their preestablished worldview will allow.

But Scripture could not be clearer that followers of Jesus Christ are not meant to pick and choose which areas we want God to change, as though the Bible were a spiritual menu. Rather, we are called to love the Lord with everything we have, to put no other gods before him, and to offer ourselves to him as living sacrifices. The gospel is not something which simply alters a few isolated behaviors—it is something which utterly transforms you.

That kind of change, which John 3 compares to being born again, can be an overwhelming proposition. But the Lord’s promise is that when in faith we turn our lives over to him—not just the things we’re comfortable parting with, but our whole lives—we will know salvation. After all, Jesus did not come to sprinkle living water around the edges of our lives, he came so that we would be drenched in his grace, righteousness, and love.

A Sign of Things to Come (Friday Devotional)

 

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

- Acts 1:8-9

For days, there’s been a red line spray-painted all the way down my street, preparation for some road work the city will be doing in a few weeks. Soon enough the street will be lined with construction vehicles, orange traffic cones, and debris. The normal quiet of a weekday afternoon will be interrupted by the noise of jackhammers and steamrollers. By the time they’re done, potholes will be filled and rough places will be paved.

But for now, things remain as they are. And while we wait, that red spray-painted line stands as a sign of what is to come.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he left his followers with two things, a promise and a mission. The promise was that he would return to complete the redemptive work his death and resurrection guaranteed. Soon all the world would see the prophesied Day of the Lord, when God would judge the living and the dead and restore creation to its intended glory. Soon all the world would fully know the eternal life the resurrected Lord embodied.

But in the meantime, things didn’t appear to be so different. The world had forever changed on Easter Sunday, but it wasn’t fully evident. So what Jesus left in the meantime was a mission—that anyone who believed in him should bear witness to the promise, that his disciples should joyfully announce to the world what was coming. The world would need a sign that restoration was on its way, and Jesus called us to be that sign.

To this day, the world is waiting for God to do the long-promised ‘road work’ that will come at Christ’s return. In the meantime, we are called to remain a red line in the road showing people what is coming, bearing witness to his grace and truth. In a world with destructive instincts, we are called to be constructive. In a world that breaks people down, we are called to lift people up. In a world of cruelty, we are called to be agents of redemption. Soon God will make the crooked places straight and the rough places plain—for now may we be an effective sign, pointing in word and deed to that promise.

Empty-Handed (Friday Devotional)

 

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

When I went to the grocery store Tuesday night, I didn’t expect it to be an eventful trip. My list wasn’t especially long, the store was quiet, and nothing in my half hour walking up and down the aisles indicated anything about the night would be particularly memorable.

Then I got to the checkout line, started loading my groceries onto the belt, and reached in my pocket for my wallet. Feeling nothing, I frantically patted my other pockets to no avail. As my face reddened, my memory caught up to the situation. I knew exactly where my wallet was: my sock drawer at home. All I could do was sheepishly explain my mistake to the cashier, apologize profusely, and go home empty-handed—I had $75 worth of groceries on the belt, but I didn’t have what I needed to pay for them.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul warns against making the same kind of spiritual mistake—accumulating a spiritual abundance but lacking the one thing you need most. Writing to a church that had become fixated on the strange gift of speaking in tongues, he cautions that “if I speak in the tongues of mortals and angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” He goes on to say that the most powerful prophet, the wisest scholar, the most faithful believer, and the most sacrificial giver gain nothing if their gifts are unaccompanied by love.

It’s a reminder that we still need today. Too often we appreciate eloquent preachers but overlook faithful parents; we recognize generous givers but ignore tireless teachers; we thank decision makers but look past the humble servants who implement those decisions. Yet if we will look to the cross of Christ, we will see that sacrificial love is far more powerful than anything else we have to offer.

You can go through life doing good works, saying the right things, and setting a positive example—you can fill your spiritual shopping cart until it’s about to overflow. But take it from me, there’s one thing you need to make the rest of it worthwhile. I pray you know where to find it.

A Pastoral Prayer for the First Day of School

Heavenly Father,

We come to you on this strange first day of school asking for your blessings.

 

For the child whose first day of kindergarten will happen over Zoom,

Whose backpack full of school supplies will spend weeks collecting dust in the corner of her bedroom,

Who has been talking for months about “when I get to go to school,”

We ask for your blessings.

For the parent who wonders whether to bother taking a first-day-of-school photo,

Who bought a first-day-of-school outfit that’s still hanging in the closet,

Whose first-day-of-school tears are different than she’d ever dreamed they’d be,

We ask for your blessings.

For the teacher who spent hours decorating her vacant classroom,

Who won’t meet his students in person for weeks—and may never meet some of them,

Who will only see the smiling faces of children on a computer screen today,

We ask for your blessings.

 

For the child who longs to play with his friends,

Who doesn’t understand why the school playground is roped off,

Who feels isolated and alone,

We ask for your blessings.

For the parent who has become a full-time tutor,

Who misses the routine and the freedom of pick-up and drop-off,

Who has had to sacrifice her own pursuits to stay home with her child,

We ask for your blessings.

For the teacher who is learning on the fly,

Whose lesson plans and teaching methods are changing daily,

Who is trying to understand,

We ask for your blessings.

 

For the child who is closer to college than kindergarten,

Whose visions of prom and graduation have become murky,

Who just wants a normal year,

We ask for your blessings.

For the parent whose calendar is devoid of recitals and football games,

Who doesn’t know what to look forward to right now,

Who just wants a normal year,

We ask for your blessings.

For the teacher who is pondering early retirement,

Who wonders if this is all worth the hassle,

Who just wants a normal year,

We ask for your blessings.

 

For all who are disappointed and all who are excited,

For all who are angry and all who are hopeful,

For all who are afraid and all who are eager,

For all who are learning and all who are ready to learn,

We ask for your blessings.

 

This is the day that the Lord has made,

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Amen.

Sic 'Em (Friday Devotional)

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them.

- Luke 9:51-55

“Sic ‘em!”

The first time I ever heard that phrase, it was being shouted by a movie character to his dog. Pointing at a couple of trespassers he’d caught on his land, the man was commanding his dog to pursue the trespassers at top speed, catch up with them, and put those sharp teeth to good use.

The second time I heard “sic ‘em”—and the third time, and the fourth, and the thousandth—was in my years at Baylor University, where it’s the go-to cheer, greeting, and all-purpose exclamation. But its origins, it turns out, aren’t altogether different from what I’d seen on film years before. When fans first started shouting to the football players to “sic ‘em, Bears”, they were encouraging them to go for the big hit, to tackle more forcefully, to play the kind of hard-nosed football Texans know so well. Just like the farmer wanted his dog to lay into trespassers, Baylor fans wanted to see their players lay out the other team.

These days it seems like “sic ‘em” is a command that’s increasingly popular, at least in spirit—people want to see their opponents hurt. They’re less concerned with understanding those they disagree with than defeating them; they no longer want their leaders to work with the other side, but to dominate it. Instead of compromise or consensus, the spirit of the day is conquest.

That spirit is one that followers of Jesus have struggled with since the days of his earthly ministry. The passage above tells the story of a Samaritan village who refused to receive Jesus because of his commitment to Jerusalem, which the Jews viewed as God’s city but the Samaritans did not. Stung by the rejection, the disciples looked to Jesus for permission to draw upon God’s power and call down fire on the village—in other words, to sic ‘em.

But Jesus—the one, keep in mind, who’d actually been rejected by the village—rebuked his disciples for their question. The Prince of Peace was not in the business of weaponizing divine power or using his spiritual authority as a bludgeon. As John 3:17 reminds us, God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Followers of Jesus today ought to take our cues from our Lord instead of from James and John; we ought to be praying for the salvation of our enemies instead of for their destruction. The spirit of the day may be one of condemnation, but the Holy Spirit points us toward reconciliation. Simply put, in a world that cries out to sic ‘em, Christ calls us to love ‘em.