Reading Update

(4) God of Promise: An Introduction to Covenant Theology - Michael Horton

It was not an easy read by any stretch of the imagination, but the struggle was well worth the time and effort.  Melanie and have been working through this one together and I think that we both benefited greatly from it.  

It is, as the title suggests, an introduction to covenant theology.  Horton starts by showing the history of covenants in the Near East and then works out a biblical understanding of covenant.  Melanie and I both found the final chapters, which were chapters that showed the practical outworking of a covenantal biblical worldview to be especially helpful.  In those final chapters Horton helps the reader to better understand baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the purpose and use of the Law.  The book is recommended. 

Reading Update

(3) Economics in One Lesson  - Henry Hazlitt

I took an economics class in high school, but I doubt I was paying much attention and that was quite some time ago.  So I decided to read something on economics and this book was recommended.  The book's thesis is summed up in the first chapter when Hazlitt explains that, "The whole of economics can be reduced to a single lesson . . . The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups."

This is the message that Hazlitt sets out to prove true in his book.  Hazlitt is certainly a free-market economist.  He is opposed to nearly all government intervention into economic affairs and frowns on things like minimum wages, subsidies, and social security.  His argumentation is sound and convincing and his writing is easy to read.  He takes a look at many practical areas of economics and shows how the failure to heed his one stated lesson has caused much damage.

The book is a good introduction to economics and certainly gets one thinking about the potential long-term effects of certain government policies currently under consideration.

Reading Update

(2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

Well I just finished the final installment in the Harry Potter series. A fitting finish to a great series I would say. I have respect for any author who writes children's books and uses words like, "mollify," "incredulity," and "gormless." I've added mollify to my regular usage. It just rolls so nicely off the tongue!

Book Update

As mentioned in a previous post, I am attempting to read a book every other week this year for a total of twenty-six books.  I plan on a good mix of fiction and nonfiction.  The year starts with some of the former.

(1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Amazingly enough, I was so disinterested in the Harry Potter hype that I accidentally avoided any spoilers for the series, and I'm glad I did!  The series has been excellent and this book was no exception.  I love a book that keeps the reader saying to himself, "Just one more chapter before bed."  This is one of those.  

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog.  This one will replace Just Wondering.  I had to do this because it was so long ago when I signed up for blogger, that the formatting and template were out of date.  They have updated and made things much more user friendly.  I'm sure there is a way I could have just switched it over to the new formatting, but I am apparently a techno-idiot.  

A Goal (I Don't Do Resolutions)

It has been awhile since I've posted anything here.  I guess that is mostly due to laziness as I do think about something I want to write from time to time, yet never seem to get it put on the blog.  Anyway, I am not posting to tell you of some fantastic goal I have to write more blog posts this year so I'm already off track.  So back to it!

I am actually writing to tell you about a reading goal I have for the year.  Last year was a down year for me as far as reading went.  I only read a handful of books though I was always thinking I should be reading more.  So this year I am setting out to read one book every other week.  That means with 52 weeks in the year, I'll be shooting for 26 books read by year's end.  I plan on posting the title and author of each book I read along with a very brief summary and my opinion on whether or not it was a good book and if I would recommend it.  I'm into my first book now and you should be hearing back from me within a couple of weeks.

An Interesting Night at the 7-11

I had an interesting experience at the 7-11 last night that I thought at least one or two of my four readers might find interesting. I swing by the 7-11 once in while on my way home from work and there is usually the same guy working. He seems to always be in a good mood and makes the customer feel special. He looks to be a bit of a hippie type. He has a medium-length beard and covers his long hair with one of those knitted beanie hats. I would put his age at 22-25. From the little bits of conversation I have had with him, I get the impression that he may be one of those quiet intellectuals. He is quite articulate and has a vocabulary that screams college educated.

Anyway, I was in last night and when I got to the counter he asked how it was going and responded that it was going good and asked how he was. Before he could answer I interrupted with a question. I apologized and asked him again how he was doing. He seemed out of character, a little down perhaps as he kept looking in the direction of some punk kids who appeared to be stuffing store items in their pants. It was at this moment that my suspicions of an intellect were confirmed. He said, “I feel a little like Camus’ interpretation of Sisyphus.” Okay. So at this point I am thinking, “Okay, I am familiar with who Albert Camus is and I think that Sisyphus is a mythological character, but I have no idea what he is saying.” The clerk then goes on to say, “If only I can avoid the crap going on around me and just focus on the task at hand, then (and here he actually quotes Camus) ‘The struggle itself...is enough to fill a man's heart.’” So I said, “Well, good luck in that my man,” and I left.

Well of course my curiosity was going strong when I got home so I googled “Camus and Sisyphus” and found out what he was talking about. It turned out to be pretty profound in my opinion. Sisyphus was a Greek mythological figure who was doomed to push a rock up a hill. Whenever he would get it to the top, it would roll back to the bottom and he would have to push it up again. This was repeated eternally. Camus compared the task to the menial jobs we hold. Here I quote from a Wikipedia article on the subject, (I know, I know, Wikipedia is not a good source)

“Camus presents Sisyphus's ceaseless and pointless toil as a metaphor for modern lives spent working at futile jobs in factories and offices. ‘The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious.’
Camus is interested in Sisyphus' thoughts when marching down the mountain, to start anew. This is the tragic moment, when the hero becomes conscious of his wretched condition. He does not have hope, but he also figures out the truth and Sisyphus, just like the absurd man, keeps pushing. Camus argues that Sisyphus is truly happy precisely because the futility of his task is beyond doubt: the certainty of Sisyphus' fate frees him to recognize the absurdity of his plight and to carry out his actions with contented acceptance. With a nod to the similarly cursed Greek hero Oedipus, Camus concludes that ‘all is well,’ indeed, that ‘One must imagine Sisyphus happy.’”

Is that not perfect? As I reflect on it, there is no better description for that moment at that time. An interesting night at the 7-11 indeed.