Pigs of Few Words

Oink by Arthur Geisert

I happened upon this book at the library today and Caleb loves it! He asked me to read it four times in a row and then read it to himself while I rocked Reva for a while. I could hear him oinking away in his room with two doors closed between us. I have a feeling this little book is going to appear in someone's Christmas stocking (if not his birthday pile).

Go Outside and Play

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

Parts I and II were the most interesting parts of this book. (Later parts presented interviews with some people with crazy ideas like decreasing all cities to around 40,000; in his defense, the author doesn't condone the craziest of ideas.) Anyway, in the first two parts, we see some evidence that suggests interaction with nature (trees, bugs, etc.) has measurable positive effects on our intellectual performance, emotional well-being, and even physical health. I was most intrigued by the use of nature therapy to treat ADHD. I'm not sure how well the evidence would hold up (and will hold up if more studies are done), but it seems to make sense to me that kids need time outside to run around and interact with the natural world.

If you need any more reasons to turn off the computer, TV, or game console, check out this book. Of course, your time might be better spent on a hike or fishing.

Daily Inspiration

The Little Flowers of Saint Francis translated by Raphael Brown

I love reading books like this. I feel like a daily dose of the saints helps guide me toward living a better life in my attitude and actions in every day life. Some day I expect to make the time to really read a bit like this every day.

As enlightening and uplifting as the stories of St. Francis were, my favorite part of the book were the vignettes on Brother Juniper. He was so enamored by the love of Christ that his Brothers had to command him to stop giving away the very clothes he was wearing. He obeyed the command but not quite the spirit of it by allowing and encouraging a needy man to "steal" the habit right off his back.

Don't Bother

The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult

I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, but the book treats suicide as a reasonable response to depression and teenage sexual activity as a given. There's no hint that anyone in the world thinks suicide and assisted suicide are immoral or that many problems could have been avoided if only Emily and Chris had not had sex.

The Church in a Destructive Age

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

This is not a new book; it was written in the late 1950s, but has been appearing in new editions ever since. It is one of the few science fiction books to treat the Church seriously and faithfully within the present and future depicted in the novel. St. Leibowitz (who is not a saint when the book begins but is already long dead) joins the church at a time when mobs are destroying all places of learning and all learned men and women in a misguided effort to find restitution for the devastation and destruction of a nuclear war. He forms an order charged with collecting, memorizing and saving what remnants they can of learning for future generations.

The most interesting part of the book in my opinion describes the Radiation Disaster Act in action. The Green Star Relief establishes mobile units to humanely and expediently kill those who have received a lethal dose of radiation. The Church disagrees with these centers and all they represent.

Here are a few quotes relevant to issues our society currently faces. When asked why he cannot allow the Green Star Relief doctor to counsel individuals to travel to the euthanasia center, the abbot says:

Because if a man is ignorant of the fact that something is wrong, and acts in ignorance, he incurs no guilt, provided natural reason was not enough to show him that it was wrong. But while ignorance may excuse the man, it does not excuse the act, which is wrong in itself. If I permitted the act simply because the man is ignorant that it is wrong, then I would incur guilt, because I do know it to be wrong.

Below is a quote of the priest's thoughts as the relief doctor leaves:

Seeing misery everywhere and detesting it, and sincere in wanting to do something about it. Sincere--that was the hell of it. From a distance, one's adversaries seemed fiends, but with a closer view, one saw the sincerity, and it was as great as one's own. Perhaps Satan was the sincerest of the lot.

Late in the novel, Father Zerchi pleads with a young women who has been convinced by the Green Star Relief doctor to take herself and her baby to the euthanasia center. Imagine the struggle of this poor young mother, broken and sick herself, watching her little one, barely recognizable and whimpering in pain, knowing there was no way to save either life. I can understand how she feels when she says "I cannot understand a God who is pleased by my baby's hurting!" The priest answers:

"No, no! It is not the pain that is pleasing to God, child. It is the soul's endurance in faith and hope and love in spite of bodily afflictions that pleases Heaven. Pain is like negative temptation. God is not pleased by temptations that afflict the flesh; He is pleased when the soul rises above the temptation and says 'Go, Satan.' It's the same with pain, which is often a temptation to despair, anger, loss of faith--"

Later, he changes tactics:

"No! I am not asking you. As a priest of God I am commanding you by the authority of Almighty God not to lay hands on your child, not to offer her life in sacrifice to a false god of expedient mercy. I do not advise you, I adjure and command you in the name of Christ the King."

Dom Zerchi had never spoken with such a voice before, and the ease with which the words came to his lips surprised even the priest. As he continued to look at her, her eyes fell. For an instant he had feared that the girl would laugh in his face. When Holy Church occasionally hinted that she still considered her authority to be supreme over all nations and superior to the authority of states, men in these times tended to snicker. And yet the authenticity of the command could still be sensed by a bitter girl with a dying child.

Even in the most difficult, horrific circumstances, we must protect and cherish the lives God creates.

As a side note, a little blurb I found here reminded me that the threat of annihilation remains, but now they can destroy an entire city without fear of environmental repercussions. That's right: Throw those weapons all you like, then move your citizens right in. No consequences. It's comforting to believe Christ will come again in glory before terrorists or governments could destroy the world with weapons such as these.