Breaking Ground

In the conversation "Arguments for the Sake of Heaven" published in Breaking Ground, Jonathan Haidt states "The interesting thing is that Americans are not getting more polarized in terms of their beliefs about issues. . . .The polarization is affective--that is, it's emotional. We don't disagree more about policy matters or ideas, we just hate each other more. And that's really important to keep your eye on, because when you really hate someone, you will believe anything that casts them in a bad light; you're less likely to check sources."

This is one of several passages I noted in this outstanding collection of essays. This particular item caught my attention due to the information literacy aspect. Beyond this passage, Breaking Ground has assembled a collection of beautifully written essays that looks at our lives of the course of one year of the pandemic. Well done and highly recommended! My full review will be posted later at Englewood Review of Books.

I received a complementary copy from Plough Publishing via NetGalley. All comments and reviews are my own.

Healing and Forgiveness

Do you struggle to forgive someone in your life? Is there someone who has so grievously offended or hurt you that you struggle with forgiving that person even though you know Chris commands us to forgive everyone just as He forgive us? Or perhaps you wonder how someone else is able to forgive a horrific action. If this describes you, From Red Earth: A Rwandan Story of Healing and Forgiveness by Denise Uwimana belongs on your reading list.

Many of us are heard on the news and have some familiarity with the horrific genocide in Rwanda between the Tutsi and Hutu. Denise Uwimana is a survivor of this evil. From Red Earth is her story. Uwimana shares background information of how the division between Tutsi and Hutu began as well as her life growing up in Africa. Her early years were filled with work and school and then later marriage. Throughout this time, faith in Christ was a cornerstone of her life. However, her world as she knew it came to a screeching halt on April 7, 1994. From Red Earth tells the story of her survival during the genocide and the story of many others. As this genocide was so horrific, reading these accounts will leave you in shock and are not for the squeamish.

After the genocide, Uwimana and her three sons, including a newborn, must continue living even in the midst of tragedy. As you may suspect life is hard but she clings to her faith. Uwimana seeks refuge and direction time and time again in prayer and finds strength to forgive those who committed these atrocities. As she makes her way through difficult circumstances, She is often seen as a "light" by others whom she encourages. From Red Earth tells the story of her journey to forgive and how she encourages many others to forgive and to heal their country. From Red Earth is highly recommended both as a first hand account of this tragedy and a testament to the healing power of Christ.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received From Red Earth from Plough via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

The Lost Girls of Boko Haram

Think back several years ago and you will recall hearing and seeing in the news the horrific story of the Nigerian school girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram. For a time the hashtag #Bringbackourgirls circulated on social media. As news stories do, this event eventually was replaced by other stories. The recently published book Beneath the Tamarind Tree: A Story of Courage, Family, and the Lost School Girls of Boko Haram by Isha Sesay returns to this heart-wrenching story.

Isha Sesay is uniquely situated to tell this story for several reasons. To begin, while employed with CNN she reported this story from the ground and interacted with both the girls and their families. As such she had formed relationships with them and was able to tell their stories. Beyond her access via CNN, as a native of Sierra Leone, Sesay also approaches these events from the perspective of an African woman. As she indicates frequently throughout the book, this could have been her story if it not for her privileged upbringing.

Sesay alternates between telling the story of the kidnapped girls, her own story, and providing background information related to the politics and military of Nigeria as needed. The stories of specific girls, their dreams, and families allows you to get to know them personally. As you read, your heart breaks for what they experienced. However, your faith is encouraged as Sesay emphasizes the strong Christian faith of these girls and how it sustained them throughout their imprisonment. Alas, many of the girls are still being held.

Beneath the Tamarind Tree is highly recommended for many audiences. Individuals who enjoy reading about current events and other cultures will enjoy this. Mature high school students will benefit from reading this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Beneath the Tamarind Tree via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

The 21 Coptic Martyrs

Perhaps you remember the 2015 news stories about the Coptic martyrs. Recently, I finished reading The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs by Martin Mosebach. This book details the author's journey to learn more about the martyred men. He desired to find out what their background story was that made them willing to be martyrs. In doing so, he learned about the men but more specifically learned about the Coptic Christians of Egypt.

Many readers are familiar with Protestant Christians, Catholic Christians, perhaps Orthodox Christians, but many haven't heard of Coptic Christians. Due to this gap in knowledge, Mosebach spends a great deal of time explaining the history and background of Coptic Christianity. This includes not only their beliefs and history, but also how their geographic location influences their spirituality and interaction with the Bible. As such, this book serves as part theological history, part travelogue, and part memoir to the martyred men. What stands out while reading the book is while growing up in their small Egyptian villages, they were no different than any other person in their village. Their bedrock was the church and they lived out their Coptic faith daily. While these men are now considered saints in the Coptic church, their allegiance to Christ is also lived out in their families and villages as a matter of course. This is a great resource to expand your view of world Christianity and highly recommended.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs from Plough via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.