I recently read a statistic that says the average american middle aged man has read only one book since graduating from high school. Is it any wonder that we as a species are struggling and showing such a lack of wisdom in our world?
I recently picked up a book that has garnered some attention in the world of theological thought. It is a book that before publication was being declared heretical and dangerous. This of course made me want to read it!!
I read it in one sitting, while on my back deck overlooking our yard. I was captivated by the authors use of phrases and questions. Questions that rattled my very foundational thoughts and ideas. Ideas i had settled years ago about life, living and eternity. This book and its author proceeded to ask questions about my foundational assumptions that i secretly had been asking for years. It was a scary and exciting read.
As i turned the last page and put the book down, my entire life seemed to have been disrupted. My beliefs, my life views, my vision about God, neighbor and my own soul. It allowed me to begin the process of recasting a vision for my own life. It shook me to the core of my being. As I sat there on the deck that day, a full hour passed before i even moved. there have only been a few times that a book has so disrupted my view of life like that.
As i sat there mulling over what had just happened, a smile crept across my face and i realized that this is what life is all about. It is about growth and expansion, it is about facing uncertainty and life itself with boldness to create, recreate and create again. When a man does not read, and be challenged by what he reads, he is limited in how much he will grow. To increase ones depth and breadth of experience in life, one must pick up the thoughts of others and read, ruminate and change direction if necessary. Life is too short to stay static and in a state of passivity. As we enter the Second Act of life, we need to expand and grow or we will shrivel, shrink and ultimately die, years before our burial.
So what have you read lately that has challenged, encouraged and propelled you into a new way of thinking or acting?
Life is way too short, so read a book, and sometimes try one that just might disrupt your way of life and thinking. its both scary and fun. And well worth the effort.
