As we have discussed already in 2020, one of the Intramuralist\u2019s resolute resolutions was simply to read more. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is more treasure in books than in all the pirate\u2019s loot on Treasure Island.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Walt Disney<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else\u2019s shoes for a while.\u201d <\/em>\u2014 Malorie Blackman<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe read to know we are not alone.\u201d <\/em>\u2014 C.S. Lewis<\/p>\n\n\n\n And while no aficionado nor expert nor author extraordinaire, my strong sense is we need to be reading different things by different people and not simply books and essays that serve primarily only to reinforce what we already know we believe. It\u2019s why I actively, consistently read the Bible, the world\u2019s all-time best, bestseller; it teaches and stretches me more than any other writing. It challenges me, humbles me, and clearly confronts me with the reality that there is so much I do not know\u2026 and so much more to learn. Wisdom comes often from sources other than self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are you reading that\u2019s conservative? Progressive?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What are you reading from history or about a contemporary conflict?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What are you reading that\u2019s written by someone who doesn\u2019t look like you?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What are you reading from an American author or from someone not born in this country?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What are you reading from a male? Female? Old? New?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fiction? Nonfiction? Biography?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Varied background? Style? Or ancestry?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n From the book completed just yesterday, said one of the fictional characters, after some life-changing growth, \u201cI tell them there is nothing more selfish than trying to change someone\u2019s mind because they don\u2019t think like you. Just because something is different does not mean it should not be respected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So in 2020, I\u2019m thrilled to be learning from the different, such as in\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Permission to Feel,<\/em> written by Marc Brackett, whom we have previously quoted at length here, encouraging each of us to become an emotion \u201cscientist\u201d as opposed to an emotion \u201cjudger\u201d…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Small Great Things<\/em>, written by Jodi Picoult\u2026 In this 2016 New York Times <\/em>bestseller and noted work of fiction, the lives and perspectives of Ruth, Kennedy and Turk are interwoven. Ruth is the protagonist, an African-American labor and delivery nurse who was ordered not to touch the baby of a white supremacist couple; the newborn later dies in her care. Kennedy is Ruth\u2019s white public defender, and Turk is the father of the child. In a gripping \u2014 and for me, page-turning \u2014 tale, we watch each character wrestle with what they\u2019ve been taught. To quote one of the central characters, \u201cIt just goes to show you: every baby is born beautiful. It’s what we project on them that makes them ugly.\u201d NY Times<\/em> critic Roxane Gay called the novel “messy,” but added “so is our racial climate.\u201d No doubt this is a deeply insightful read\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making Peace with Change,<\/em> written by trusted friend, Gina Brenna Butz\u2026 In this brand new, nonfiction, 2020 release, Gina wrestles with the depth of transition in each<\/em> of our lives, recognizing the mess, but encouraging the reader to navigate through in a healthy, God-honoring way. I feel like I\u2019m sitting down with Gina having a long, extended cup of coffee; there\u2019s so much here we can also quote; for example, \u201cThe pain of unmet desire often causes us to lash out. Our kids disobey, and we insist that they change. We yell and lay down the law and demand that they do what we ask. Why? Because at a deep heart level, we don\u2019t feel respected by them, and we we hate that\u2026 On the surface, we blame the moving company for running late, or the map app that just sent us down the wrong road in a new city. But underneath, the anger is a symptom of unmet desire. And when something feels threatened, it is easier to make ourselves big with anger than to feel the fear, confusion, and frustration\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far I\u2019ve read insightful works from each of the above in addition to Rosaria Butterfield, Latasha Morrison, and Chip and Dan Heath. Ben Carson and Malcolm Gladwell are next on my list. William Krueger, Robert Dugoni, and Priya Parker will hopefully come soon thereafter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Allow me only to encourage the growth and humility that comes via reading, recognizing wisdom comes often from sources other than self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully\u2026 always\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As we have discussed already in 2020, one of the Intramuralist\u2019s resolute resolutions was simply to read more. Why? \u201cThere is more treasure in books than in all the pirate\u2019s loot on Treasure Island.\u201d \u2014 Walt Disney \u201cReading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else\u2019s shoes for a while.\u201d \u2014 Malorie … <\/p>\n