The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's annual list of gift-giving recommendations is giving way this year to a list of books for oneself or others who seek to provide solace or encouragement, to distract with joy in a chuckle or engross the reader during what has been a tough time for all.
This week's titles were submitted in response to a call for readers to share books they'd recommend for reasons such as these. Next week's selections will include a few more selections in that theme, along with other suggestions.
"The Day Christ Died" by Jim Bishop (HarperOne, $13.99)
[The book] focuses on the last 24 hours of our Lord's time on this Earth; starting with the Last Supper, it continues through his arrest, trial, passion and death on the cross. Although Bishop gives sole credit to the four Gospels, he did his homework and includes a wealth of information about the culture and politics of the time. He even provides insights into the life and profession of each of the 12 apostles.
The author includes details of the mental and physical aspects of Christ's torture that further describe the actual extent to which Christ was humiliated, unfairly judged and submitted to excruciating pain.
An important thing I learned from this book was that in those days [during Christ's lifetime] the two harshest sentences were life or death. Life including scourging ('beaten to within an inch of one's life') or death by crucifixion. Christ received both.
Whenever I feel mistreated, or dealt with unjustly, I recall these details of Christ's suffering and realize that there is nothing I could possibly experience that could be compared to what Christ endured.
-- Gilda Skrmetti, Little Rock
"A Prisoner and Yet ..." by Corrie ten Boom (CLC Publications, $12.99)
Early in the pandemic I re-read "The Hiding Place" and "Tramp for the Lord," [both written] by ten Boom, during the initial lockdown. I have followed it up with "A Prisoner and Yet ...". I have been encouraged and inspired in many ways.
First, we are living in times that are unique to us, but not unprecedented. When you look at the fear, distrust and open hatred ten Boom encountered after World War II, it is a reminder that people have faced unthinkable times and prevailed. In each book, she expresses her most raw and human emotions of fear and despair, but follows it by showing how her faith helped her to rebound each time. She repeatedly turns her concern to others -- even her captors -- versus merely focusing on her own survival.
The second thing that struck me was ten Boom's response to unthinkable cruelty and injustice: to serve others. Inspired by her sister's wishes while in Ravensbruck, she opened a home in Holland where ex-war prisoners could recuperate in peaceful surroundings, and she returned to Germany and refurbished a concentration camp where people warped by "a philosophy of hate" could be rehabilitated.
Lastly, ten Boom's lasting life work began when she was in her 50s and continued until her 80s as she literally traveled the world sharing a message of hope and faith. It reminded me of a quote I saw on Instagram that said, "You are not too old, and it is not too late" when it comes to God's purpose for your life.
From prison she wrote a phrase in "A Prisoner and Yet ..." that has brought peace and calm for me amid the pandemic, riots and racial injustice and a contentious presidential election.
"Our hearts rejoice that God alone
Is seated still upon His throne."
-- Scarlett Burks, Little Rock
"Seven Sacred Pauses -- Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day," by Macrina Wiederker (Sorin Books, $17.95)
A book I've cherished the past few months is [this] one, given to me by a dear friend ... [written] by the late Sister Macrina Wiederkehr of Arkansas' very own St. Scholastica [Monastery]. This book has literally gotten me through the pandemic.
The book is about taking time for "sacred pauses" throughout the day. As an introvert, I've always had a great need to stop often for reflection and meditation during my day, but until I read this book I never connected that intensity with my Cherokee heritage. In a chapter titled "Breathing Spells for the Soul" it was enlightening to read, "Indigenous peoples often have an innate awareness of the need to honor the natural pace and rhythm of their inner beings."
This book is what I reach for when I'm having trouble quieting my mind from stressful, worldly things like the pandemic and family issues. The Scriptures and the prayers in the book, written ... by [Wiederkehr] and others, have so often [gotten] me to a starting place -- a [kind of] conversation starter -- to help me make my time spent with my Lord more intimate and more spiritual.
I consider this book a must-read for any introvert, and it would be most helpful for anyone wanting to improve their prayer life.
A few entries are more secular, and one by Ralph Waldo Emerson to use at the end of the day is one of my favorites: "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day."
-- Edwina Leach, Perry