It’s been a while since we’ve done a double edition. Let’s get to it:
The Summer Reading List
I usually recommend books I’ve already read. To switch things up, I’m going to share a few books that are on my summer reading list that you may want to add to your list too. If you have read any of these and have thoughts to share (or if you have a book you think I should read this summer), feel free to drop me a note or a comment!
- The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire by Alan Kreider
- The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber
- The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr
- God Has a Name by John Mark Comer
- Unruly Saint: Dorothy Day’s Radical Vision and its Challenge for Our Times by D.L. Mayfield
- Rewild Your Mind: Use nature as your guide to a happier, healthier life by Nick Goldsmith
- Spell of the Tiger: The Man-Eaters of Sundarbans by Sy Montgomery
- Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport
Best Article I’ve Read Recently
Jesus followers are called to love immigrants. No exceptions. Whatever you think our border policy should be, we are called to love the immigrant among us and treat them with dignity. The fact that we are arguing over this in the American church is horrifying.
Anti-immigrant rhetoric in America is nothing new—the attitude is always there, but there are seasons where it is shown in full force and seasons where it lurks in the shadows. But Jesus followers should always treat immigrants with love and compassion regardless of the culture around us, and many faith-based groups are organizing to do so. But these same organizations are now under attack and having their staff, the immigrants they serve, and their very mission threatened by fiercely anti-immigrant individuals.
The New York Times recently shared the stories of what some groups are enduring to serve immigrants in their community. Certainly an article worth reading, and you can find it here. If you are a Jesus follower, I encourage you to read the article with a self-reflection question at the front of your mind: Do I love immigrants like Jesus does?
A Tip for All Obsessed With The Lord of the Rings
If you love all things Lord of the Rings like I do, you need to know that the Sir Peter Jackson movies (extended editions, of course, and excluding The Hobbit films) are back in theaters for a limited time! I was only five when The Fellowship of the Ring was first released, so seeing it in theaters was amazing (and you better believe I have tickets to see The Two Towers and The Return of the King as well). You can find showtimes near you here.
Quote of the Month
“‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo.
‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’”
―J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Why I Still Love The Lord of the Rings
I have returned to Middle Earth time and time again over the past 15 years. Other stories and worlds capture my mind for a season, but I always come back to J.R.R. Tolkien’s world. And I’m not the only one—Tolkien’s books and Sir Peter Jackson’s movies are still extremely popular (with the movies in particular growing in popularity among women as ‘comfort watches’).
I’m sure there are plenty of lists out there from cultural commentators and literary experts with more academic takes on why Tolkien’s work has persisted. But here are three reasons why I find myself drawn back to Middle Earth again and again:
1. War is not idolized or made out to be a noble thing. Courage and bravery are commended, and so is fighting for what is right, but never war, death, or destruction itself.
2. The men are the very definition of healthy masculinity. You see Tolkien’s male characters express a full range of emotion, treat women with dignity, and love their male friends well without any of these characteristics being mocked or considered weak. And Tolkien does not write anti-heroes—Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, and others deal with the evil around them by heading firmly toward what is good, even though they may stumble on the path to getting there.
3. Tolkien highlights the beauty in ordinary life. His world is where gardeners are held in high esteem and where little is as wonderful as good food and drink around a table with friends. It is a world where the trees are revered, where people love deeply, where songs and poems are important.
Human formation comes through the stories we tell ourselves, whether fiction or reality. It’s how we were designed, and it’s why Jesus leaned so heavily on parables. If the stories we listen to matter, we should be listening to good stories. The Lord of the Rings tell stories that make me want to see beauty in the ordinary and never treat evil as good. Which stories do the same for you?
I’ll catch you next month, friends.
P.S. If you want to see my name in your inbox more frequently, I have another publication, The Saltwater Chronicles, where I publish a newsletter called ‘Making Waves Weekly’ on Fridays. If you want to know more about the ocean and marine creatures (or just want more fun facts to pull out at parties), this newsletter is for you. You can subscribe here.
KELVEY OLIVIA VANDER HART 