MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023 - RECENT READING

 MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2023 - RECENT READING

I’ve always been a reader. I didn’t realize how blessed I was in my early years to have parents who owned a candy shop. But I’m not talking about the candy shop, but that it was three blocks from the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Public Library.  

The candy shop was open on Thursday nights, and both of my parents worked on Thursday nights - my Dad worked at Smulekoff Furniture (which was a neat place for an elementary school kid, and my Mom was at the Candy Shop. I could walk to the library and pick up books.  

I was always in the Library’s Summer Reading program - and got free tickets to the Cedar Rapids Minor League baseball team. I vaguely remember that one summer, one of the prizes was a 1-inch by 1-inch “property” in Alaska. (I wonder if I still own that property??)  

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Last week, I reread two books (although in audiobook format). I reread two fiction books - Lord of The Flies and Black (by Ted Dekker).

Somebody on Facebook mentioned they had reread Lord of The Flies a while back. I got my name on the reserved list - and it took about three months to get the audio copy. We read Lord of The Flies in High School for an assignment.  

(For those of you who haven’t read it or don’t remember it well). A plane of boys crashes, and the boys are on an island without adults. The book describes a group of boys without supervision. There quickly become two factions - one pushing for building shelters, keeping a signal fire lit, and the other wanting to hunt. The second faction becomes savages - with face paint and excludes the first faction. Eventually - it becomes “Man’s inhumanity towards his fellow man.”  

What would happen if 40 adults were stranded on an island without technology or tools? Would we fight and divide into factions? Would we cooperate? Could we develop tools and technologies? Or would it be like political parties? Would love win, or hate win?

Another aspect of Lord of The Flies is that there were no girls. Would a mixed gender change things? What if the 40 adults on an island were all men or all women?

What would society be without rules?

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The second book that I “reread” was Black by Ted Dekker. It is the first book in a trilogy - (called The Circle) that includes Red and White.

While not a “Christian” book, it is a somewhat “Christian” book. (Boy, is that double talk, Karen).

The protagonist (Tom Hunter)  is a young man in his 20s who really hadn’t done much with his life. His father was a missionary to the Philippines who abandoned his family for a local woman. As a result, Tom has lost all beliefs. God is a phony.

Somehow, when Tom falls asleep, he switches locations between modern Earth and a futuristic Earth devoid of technology. On modern Earth, a virus that will kill all humans - unless an antidote is found (maybe like a deadly COVID-19 virus) is released. On the futuristic Earth, Tom learns from the “histories” that the virus was developed, and he goes back and forth between the modern and the futuristic worlds when he sleeps and dreams.

He tries to sound the alarm, but nobody wants to believe a 20-something “kid” who has no credibility. Until the villain demands the developed nations pay him a considerable tribute, they realize the virus will affect almost everyone. (Basically, the few survivors end up on the futurist Earth).

On the futurist planet, there are two regions - the Black area - habituated by ugly black bats and a Satan-like leading deceiver black bat (who can change colors and can twist thoughts) and only black trees; and the White area - with furry-white flying bears, and colorful forests with life-giving fruit. Tom finds a “Jesus-like” character who loves him. 

When Tom falls asleep on modern Earth, he is awake on the future Earth; when he sleeps on the future Earth, he is awake on the contemporary Earth. Things he learned in one place come into play in the other place.  

The hero does warn the world leaders about the crisis - but the virus has been released, and people (including the President of the United States) are already affected.  

(Aside with two more books in the series - that I read many years ago - that there is much more to come) 

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As I read, I reflected on our COVID-19 crisis. This book has a virus like COVID-19 (except deadly), and the hero learns about it. 

Could a virus take over all people? Could a deadly virus potentially kill all people?  

Eventually (so the scientists say), our planet and sun will die. All of us die.  

What is essential to each of us in life? Is it our fun, activities, relationships, or our beliefs and values? 

Is there a God? Is there something after death? Tough questions - and at the center of all of us.  

Will we become salvages like Lord of the Flies? Will good and evil be explicit - or individualist?

Let’s start with LOVING one another - loving our neighbors.

Then, we can allow that love to change and transform us - to remake us.

Karen Anne White, ©, October 23, 2023