The Book Shelf
by Josh Dickens
I recently heard someone on a podcast say that you will be exactly the same person you are right now in five years besides the people you meet and the books you read. We all have those relationships in our lives that have permanently altered how we see the world. Sometimes the Lord allows someone to come into our life whose example, personality, or attitude has something about it that causes us to change. It is these relationships, found in fellowship within the Body of Christ, that mold and shape us more and more into the image of Christ. However, let us not forget the much more often forgotten catalysts of change mentioned above, books.
Books have the power to transport us to the world of ideas and show us new ways to view the world. Through reading, one can be made available to experiencing the world and most importantly see the heart of God revealed in a new way. Let us never forget that it was through a Book that our God chose to reveal himself. Because of this, Christians throughout history have placed a value on education and reading that has transformed illiterate societies. I think of Hannah Moore transformational work in rural 18th century England forming Sunday Schools to teach the local children to read. Christians have upheld reading, learning, and discovery as values going back to the very writings of the apostles. We want to join the global historic Christian tradition by celebrating reading, discovery, and learning with the introduction of the Book Shelf page.
We want the Book Shelf page to be a landing pod for you to come to find your next great read, or join the conversation yourself. We will begin dropping book reviews, book recommendations, and sometimes our musings about new ideas facing our world. We are launching The Book Shelf because we believe Christians reading muscle has weakened and with it the ability to empathize and love those we don’t agree with. The upcoming generation of Christians will find their greatest evangelism and discipleship opportunities, not in a stadiums, but one on one in coffee shops, restaurants, homes, and parks. Christians have always been reading people. Let us follow their example and grow into better readers.