I'm Not Telling You What to Do, But...

I guess this is about the time to start new things for the year, but it's my first time to NOT be starting school in some fashion so I've been thinking through ways to keep myself busy. I have thought of some stuff to do and I am beginning a series of blog posts of recommendations. This means I've done the research, and sometimes even sent the info request e-mails. It doesn't mean that I've read the books or actually taken the classes I'm recommending so I plan to follow up on some of this. 

So my first recommendation is, of course, a book.

Recommended book: The Reason for God by Tim Keller. I hear from trusted sources that in this book, Keller does a great job of addressing and seeking to answer questions that skeptics have about the Bible. They say it's good both for people who believe the truth of the Bible and people who don't.

Some questions that are addressed in the book are: Why does God allow suffering in the world? Why isn't Christianity more inclusive? How can one religion be "right" and the others "wrong"?

The website for the book, thereasonforgod.com, says, "Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth." 

So, while I am convinced without a doubt that I believe the truth, I have many friends who either don't have a clue what the truth is about or who aren't too sure that absolute truth even exists. I can't imagine going through life unsure of foundational truth about who God is. That doesn't mean I've never had any of the above questions; I have in the past, and I am very interested in what Keller has to say and how the Word of God specifically speaks to them.

I personally am not usually very excited about reading books that seem like they're apologetic in nature and haven't really brought myself to finish any, but I am ready to get my hands on this one and study it in depth with my community group. I'll try to post my thoughts on it periodically.