Bonhoeffer

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Well written biography about a man of uncommon courage. Bonhoeffer was first a theologian, but his theology drove him to action and involved him in plans to assassinate Hitler. He was executed just days before the war ended and Hitler was dead by his own hand. After reading this biography, I think I would like to tackle one of his theological books -- perhaps The Cost of Discipleship.



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Brave New World

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Strange, depressing tale. At this point, it is simulaneously current and anachronistic. I enjoyed reading it. The portrayal of a future civilization obsessed with sex -- wait, that's today. Anyway, I found the ending hard to take. I don't know how I missed reading this earlier. It seemed to be on everyone's reading list for some class in high school or college, but I missed it somehow. It's worth reading now just to see what someone envisioned as the future for our shallow, consumer based society. If it played out as Huxley imagined, it would be terrible indeed.




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Parents Must Be Parents

The following poem was quoted by Elder Richard J. Maynes in General Conference (see http://lds.org/general-conference/print/2011/04/establishing-a-christ-centered-home/?lang=eng for the full text of his address).

The Echo, by C. C. Miller

’Twas a sheep not a lamb

That strayed away in the parable Jesus told,

A grown-up sheep that strayed away

From the ninety and nine in the fold.

And why for the sheep should we seek

And earnestly hope and pray?

Because there is danger when sheep go wrong:

They lead the lambs astray.

Lambs will follow the sheep, you know,

Wherever the sheep may stray.

When sheep go wrong,

It won’t take long till the lambs are as wrong as they.

And so with the sheep we earnestly plead

For the sake of the lambs today,

For when the sheep are lost

What a terrible cost

The lambs will have to pay. ⁶