Anyone Else Finished?

So I stayed up until 3am last night finishing the silly book! I don't know what got into me, but I think I just needed to feel a sense of accomplishment. I've been catching up from our trip to Texas, and I still have so much to do. As soon as I get something under way, it seems like something else needs attention. I figured a book can not become un-read, so I decided this would be a neat thing to accomplish! All that to say... I'M FINISHED!!!!

What a great book! Definitely disturbing much of the way through, but totally enlightening as I consider the lives of people across the globe. I've been trying to think about my favorite line of the book, and so far, I think it's this:

"'That's the real Afghanistan, Agha sahib. That's the Afghanistan I know. You? You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it.'" (p. 222)

I mean, can you imagine coming to the conclusion that someone speaking to you in this way was totally right on and that you couldn't deny it any longer? Can you imagine going through your entire childhood into your mid-life and realizing all of a sudden that you never really understood the lives of MOST of the people around you? Do any of you feel like you've already experienced things like this? I mean, it could happen here in America just as well as anywhere else--it would just look different, I guess.

Living more intensely

Hey guys... I was just messin around with the blog, and I noticed (again) the quote that I chose as the subheading of our blog. Have you read it?

I was wondering how reading Elie Wiesel's book has changed us. Has it caused you, in any way, to "live more intensely" because you read it? Was it worth your time investment to read the book?

For me, I think the answer to that question is that God is using it as part of a journey in my life of opening my eyes more widely to the incredible depravity and horror of the world around us. How easy it is for me to be comfortable and to shield my eyes and my heart. I pray that God would use me as His hands to help hurting people and eliminate injustice so that His will may be done "on earth as it is in heaven."

Also, in case you are new-- we have decided to read "Kite Runner" with our 'due date' of April 15th. (Eek! I don't know if I can do it! I'm in seminary and I really don't know if I can get in another book!!!) Anyways, you should all be able to 'contribute' on this blog and make posts with discussion questions as we finish up the book. Also, I think it would be great to continue to develop the "community" aspect of this group. Since most of us don't get to see each others faces very often.. if at all... keep us all posted on your lives too! Pics would be fun too!!

So, anyways, would love to hear your comments on how this book club is fulfilling its purpose as related to the above quote! Blessings!

vote

So..... I guess we have the following options. Please comment and rank them #1 (one you want to read most) to #6 (least desiring to read).

Here are the options:

Future Grace by John Piper
Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change

Another Idea

Jessica and I are both already reading Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change for our Biblical Counseling courses. It's a book written for the average Joe to read, so it's not like a textbook or anything. It might be a good one for discussion as well as present and future application.