Barbara's Random Thoughts

Today, somebody posted on bubbs in the Bookworms folder asking for suggestions of "secular books that can promote Christian thought in the reader." Immediately a few titles came to mind, and then I began looking at my bookshelves for others. As I did this, it occurred to me that pretty much ANY book I read should "promote Christian thought." Right? Shouldn't every book "promote Christian thought in the reader" if the reader is a Christian? Shouldn't we as Christians be thinking "Christianly" about whatever it is that we read? Ok, so maybe some books are more apt to tie in with Christian themes, and some just don't offer any real "meat" to think about.

But really, I was a little frustrated with myself that I couldn't come up with more titles that I could list...books that I had thought about in terms of what they meant in relation to my own faith. And yet that's (ostensibly) one of the main reasons for why I read. I'm thinking back to a discussion in a lit class I had at Biola, where Todd Pickett's main conclusion for why he reads was "to be a better Christian." I think that should be my goal in reading, too. There is a place for escapist reading, but ultimately, my grand purpose in reading should be to prompt greater thought about my faith. Especially if I believe that "all truth is God's truth" and that faith applies to all areas of life. I simply don't read like this most of the time. And I should.