A Book About Identity

After reading and writing what feels like hundreds of e-mails at work, I often feel like reading is the least fun. But somehow I still go back to reading! It's inescapable. I guess this is one indication I do like editorial work, since my love for reading comes back every so often.

This week I'm reading my first Os Guinness book. I never heard of Os before I read a biography on Francis Schaeffer that mentioned Os. First of all, I think the name Os is awesome. Secondly, his writing is full of quotes and stories from all sorts of people and times in history. And he really thinks deeply.

As I read his book, The Call, I feel like I'm listening to a friend tell me all his deep thoughts. Maybe it feels like listening to a friend also because he doesn't say, "Do these five steps." Instead he takes time to show how what he is writing about is complex, that our life on earth can't be perfect, and that's okay.

I think good friends normally don't tell you a number of rules to follow to solve your problem; rather, they acknowledge that life is complex, and that it's okay that you haven't reached perfection, and that life is more than that (it's more about fun and friendships).

The book is about how to view identity and calling in life. Identity has always been a topic I've been interested in. I guess my interest is due to living in our culture: it seems like the culture says you can buy and chose your identity--like being goth or a cheerleader type or a sports person. But I've always wanted to know what more defines us, what more tells us it's okay to just be absolutely unique (but if we're unique, something different than anyone else, how can you define each person?).

Calling is something I'm not as interested in, but this book combines the two. Your calling identifies you in some way. This is interesting.

Anyway, I wanted to list what books I've read so far in 2011. But only because I'm too lazy to remember to write it anywhere else! A friend told me he writes down each book he reads, and I find merit in that. So here it is:

1. Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life by Colin Duriez (biography)
2. Home by Marilynne Robinson (fiction)
3. God's Plans for Your Life by J. I. Packer ("Christian Living." Okay, the title sounds very boring, but it was good! I read most chapters, and from them I learned valuable things.)
4. The Good News We Almost Forgot by Kevin DeYoung

And now I'm reading the book I mentioned above. I think I'll actually finish it. I have a history of starting lots of books and not finishing them.