“Be careful what books you read,
for as water
tastes of the soil it runs though,
so does the soul taste of the authors
that a man reads.”
- John Trapp, English Puritan
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8 comments:
I wonder if John Trapp was one of the puritans who shunned fiction entirely. I know John Bunyan was highly critisized for writing Pilgrim's Progress because puritans as a whole regarded fiction as a waste of time. With that being said, I do tend to waste time when I read fiction so maybe the Puritans had a point.
Dear KM Logan,
Hmmmm....that's interesting, I didn't know that. I really don't have time to pick up anything fiction these days, but I like my daughters reading good fiction books, especially the Lamplighters.
Many blessings...
I actually tried researching it after popping over here, but wasn't able to come up with anything on John Trapp other than the fact he wrote a Bible commentary.
I think this is huge area of problem for Christians. There is so much "fluff" that is time wasting.
But what is even worse is when Christians read what the world reads. I've always been a voracious reader since I was a small child. My grandmother used to give me romance novels and Stephen King horror novels to read.
I got saved when I was 27, and I remember walking into the library thinking "wow, more than half of these books are now "off limits" to me as a believer". So I asked the Lord to show me and help me. But it wasn't instant.
Unfortunately, I loved mysteries, and still continued to read a murder mystery series that was written by a supposed "Christian". I'll never forget the day the Lord convicted me of that. It was so eye-opening...we can't be focusing our minds on the dark deeds of sin. There is so much else to read that is uplifting and edifying instead of questionable.
This is definitely an area that Christians need to take control over instead of blindly looking like the world.
I love Doug Phillips quote: (paraphrased) We are the same person year to year except for the books we read. I wish I could find the exact quote because it shows how the books we read can change us.
I have a question, June. A few weeks ago we were at a church event, and I saw one of the younger recently married ladies bring in a Stephen King horror novel. It was clear that she had been reading it. I immediately started praying for her for the Lord to open her eyes. What is our responsibility as an "older woman" to share these things? I don't feel like I can just go over and say something to her because I don't know her well at all. For now, I am just going to keep praying. Have you ever had a situation like this?
If you read John Bunyan's "Apology for his book", he makes a great argument for why Christians should both write and read fiction. One of the most convincing arguments is that Our Lord himself used fictional stories and metaphors to teach His disciples, as well as throughout the Bible in parables like the ones used in Ezekiel.
Fiction has extraordinary power and it breaks my heart how many people refuse to acknowledge this power and fill their heads with trash. But I'd encourage my sisters in Christ to harness the power of fiction for good.
In response to the commenter above, I would start a conversation with this young lady to try to get her thinking about bringing her reading captive to Christ. "Oh, you're reading Stephen King. What do you think of it? Do you think it's a good thing for a Christian to read?"
Good fiction has a way of getting to the heart in the way that not even the best sermon does. I try to explain why on my blog, In Which I Read Vintage Novels, which I hope will become a valuable resource for discerning Christians trying to choose good reading.
Amen to that, "A little leaven spoils the whole batch". 1 John tells us to test everything. Good quotes!
I have recently read most of Martin Luther King jr. book "Strength to Love" it is a transcript of his sermons during the bus boycott they are well thought and beautifully sculpted and offers tons of nuggets to ponder. {the only reason I haven't finished is I lost it}
Just curious im not a book reader only the Bible and books that are Biblical based but I do like TV just wondering what are yall thoughts on television?
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