One of my favorite disciplines is regularly engaging with good books that sharpen my thinking and stir my affections for Christ. Here are a few books I’ve recently finished and some reflections on how they challenged, encouraged, or entertained me.
Virgil Wander: A Novel – Leif Engler
Who doesn’t like a story about rebirth? Virgil Wander is a novel about a fresh start for a dying town and the people who live there. Leif Engler writes with the easy-going, down-to-earth style typical of the upper Midwest towns in his stories. The cadence and content draw you in. In this case, we find the Virgil’ls life change dramatically after a near-death experience. Mix in some small-town shennagains, a mystery or two, and a strange visitor who makes elaborate kites–and you have an entertaining, clean, and fun read. Exactly what I was looking for on a cold and grey New England weekend. I also enjoyed his previous book, Peace Like a River, which was a bestseller, a couple of years ago.
The Future is Analog: How to Create a More Human World – David Sax
Several years ago, David Sax wrote a book called The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter. His message, amid relentless alerts on my phone, resonated with me. Now, Sax returns to write The Future is Analog. His premise is that the future is analog because we are analog. He uses the pandemic to help prove his premise. The book is laid out by day of the week, analyzing a different topic and how COVID demonstrated how technology could not bear the weight of human need. The subjects range cover such topics of work, school, shopping, cities, and faith. With transparency and some humor, he demonstrates that we aren’t quite ready to flip the switch over to a world of technology; and we never will be.
The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism – Jemar Tisby
Jemar Tisby wrote this book to chronicle some painful chapters in the history of the American Church. Beginning with the early colonial days, slavery, the Civil War, and the Jim Crow laws, Tisby tears back the veneer of time to detail many horrific stories of racial and human injustice. Several times, I wanted to close the book and tap out, saying, “I get it.” But I think the book’s point was to help readers stare past the point of discomfort to the place of disgust, grief, and resolve. I may not agree with all of Tisby’s conclusions, but his burden of churches not compromising on what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality gets a hearty “amen” from me.
Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End – David Gibson
Ecclesiastes is a tough book to get your arms around. David Gibson is very helpful. If you’re looking for an accessible, faithful, and practical resource on the book of Ecclesiastes, I recommend this. It will certainly be helpful to pastors and others who are teaching through the book, but I don’t think the average church member looking to grow will find this too difficult.
Preaching Christ from Ecclesiastes: Foundations for Expository Sermons – Sidney Greidanus
Greindanus books on preaching Christ are super helpful for those trying to make legitimate connections to Christ and the gospel in their sermons. Ecclesiastes can be especially vexing on this account. Pastors will be helped by Griedanus in this volume. My only quibble is that he takes “under the sun” to refer to life without God (i.e. unbelief) rather than just life in this fallen, post-Genesis 3 world. I don’t agree with his interpretation so it effected some of the connections, but I still benefited greatly from the book.
Final Thoughts
Reading widely—whether fiction, cultural analysis, church history, or biblical studies—continues to shape my thinking and deepen my love for Christ. Each of these books, in different ways, has challenged me to consider the world more carefully, appreciate good storytelling, and think biblically about the times we live in. Some books entertain, some convict, and some equip—but the best ones do all three.
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February 2025
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