i just finished reading pillars of the earth by ken follett. i haven't read a book that long in a while and it was great to disappear into a different world with characters i have never heard of and stories that aren't often told. i am not sure that i could recommend it to a general group of people there were definitely some worldy and vulgar parts of the story that i really dont want to relive. i have always loved reading. i love to immerse myself into a story so much that i becomes real to you. you dream about the characters when you go to bed, you have pictures in your head of what they look like, and it changes a little the way you see life (at least a good book does). i walked away from this book with a new interest in a monk's way of life. i know a little about the piety and tradition of monastic way of life, but the example of their dedication and trust in God is something to live up to. i know that, as in any religion, there are individuals that corrupt and use their position for their own accomplishment and power, but it think the modern church has lost some of the tradition associated with dedication to God that we miss out on the blessing of being completely surrendered to our trust in him. that he supplies or needs, that he lifts us up, that any good we do is for his glory and recognition, that all we have and all we are should speak of his glory, his faithfulness and his love for the world. it reminds me of the passage in matthew 25
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
ok, this started out being a review of the book, but turned into something else. sorry for the rabbit trail, but its where my typing led me.
