My Summer Reading List
Yesterday I received two emails within seconds of each other.
The first was from a librarian at New Mexico State University informing me that by noon six people had already been executed in Juarez, Mexico.
The second came from CNN informing me that six people had lost their lives in a shooting in Albuquerque.
One tragedy was a national headline, the other you probably just heard about for the first time.
On the average seven people are executed every day in Juarez…some days the numbers are in the twenties or more.
Countrywide the numbers are horrifying as well.
You probably didn’t know that Sunday was election day in Mexico and you probably didn’t know that many candidates were executed before they could be voted on.
It’s hard to maintain a democracy when you have to drive under bodies hanging from overpasses on your way to the polling booth…four in Chihuahua alone.
You probably don’t know that our southern neighbor is imploding and may collapse completely.
Why don’t you know?
Why is this happening?
I’m spending my summer researching this instead of reading another spate of books on doctrine or how awful the church is or how wonderful my tradition is in comparison.
I’m fascinated by the reality that Satan is standing on the border gathering his troops while we’re tweeting about Francis Chan or Ergun Caner.
I’m only reading one “Christian” book this summer, “Practicing Resurrection” by Eugene Peterson.
It is perhaps the best book of many best books that this wonderful sage has written…I’m trusting him to keep me sane during my research.
More on that in a couple months.
This is what is on my iPad or bookstand;
Kill the Messenger: How the CIA’s Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb
Drug War Zone: Frontline Dispatches from the Streets of El Paso and Juárez
Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ
Murder City: Ciudad Juarez and the Global Economy’s New Killing Fields
Dreamland: The Way Out of Juarez
Juarez: The Laboratory of Our Future
Blues for Cannibals: The Notes from Underground
Blood Orchid: An Unnatural History of America
A Shadow in the City: Confessions of an Undercover Drug Warrior
first
You may not get much company on this one… 🙂
hahaha…I’m perfectly ok with that. It only matters that I was FIRST! 😉
but..for the record, there’s no link between the deaths in Mexico and the Albuquerque killings today. I think that may be a bit confusing for some folks. But, since they won’t be showing up here anyway, guess it doesn’t matter…
I may have to research those titles at my library, and place a hold if they have any of them.
Did anyone get a chance to check out the shows on Drugs INC on the NetGeo channel?
I am burned out on the woes of the world that I can’t do a thing about. My summer reading list is to put a dent in my 60 Perry Mason books. My goal is to re read them all in a 2 yr period – then God will say “well done good and faithful servant.” 😉
MLD,
I may borrow those this fall… 🙂
I should note loudly that all of those books mentioned contain disturbing material and often very disturbing images and strong language.
They are not for the faint hearted.
The video at one point states that the govt of Juarez is finding that Jesus Christ seems to be a working solution for the problems of Juarez. Maybe, just maybe, all this chaos is for the glory of God to break the stoney hearts so that the nation will repent. It sometimes seems the Spirit prospers in chaotic times more than in air conditioned suburbs.
bishopdave,
There is incredible spiritual warfare happening there.
I’m hoping that we can raise the awareness of this issue enough that we join the battle from this side of the border…
Our church has been working in that area the last two years, attempting to help build and establish a camp for young kids (we also helped build a house for a family there). It is an area that could use a constant flow of missionaries, not just in bringing the Gospel, but in bringing physical relief. We have seen another church in town decide to cancel their trip there because of the fear of violence.
Shaun,
Blessing on you…do you have a trip scheduled?
Not at this point – we work through two separate groups.
One is called family missions (or something to that effect), and it is literally that. You bring your whole family. You sleep in Texas at night and minister during the day in Juarez – when a family from our church went they were working specifically with a women’s prison. The stories were horrific of what had happened to most of these ladies. The gal was a massage therapist, so she did back and neck massages will the gals opened up and shared the horror that is their life.
The other is not really a specific organization, just a relative of a family from our church. I will get their information for you. I am sure we will be working with them every year for a while. The next time we have a trip planned I will get you details, and you can join us.
Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer is there. So is Doctrine by Mark Driscoll; Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas; a bunch of books by Eugene Peterson; Getting Fired for the Glory of God by Mike Yacconelli; Love is an Orientation by Andrew Marin; The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg; and a host of others.
I might read the Bonhoeffer book as well…
Michael, you might need the whole year to get through that particular book…
I hear tea leaves are in this year…. 😀