As you know, my Joyce and I spend much of our time together reading what interests us. I read faster privately and am reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I must have read it in my youth because I recognized “Barkus is willin” and remembered Uriah Heep. Dicken’s writing is not what I think Joyce and I would enjoy reading out loud to each other. The language is difficult and the times are so different that I am being stretched by what I read. Like other authors, Charles Dickens reveals a lot about himself as he writes his novels.
The same is true of Sarah Quesada. Joyce and I have read her book: “Love undocumented: Risking Trust in a fearful World.” She fell in love with an undocumented person, and the book is about the long process and the struggle they had to correct his status to get married with standing. You may go to her website by clicking here. I encourage you to go there and to follow her blog. You will learn much about relating to your neighbours who are undocumented, fearful, and feeling unwanted. She writes, “I would love to include you in my weekly email, which I call The Road Map. It’s a quick list to keep you informed and inspired as we navigate faith, justice, and culture in our world today.” She makes it easy for anyone to sign up on her blog.
Joyce and I are also reading books by Ron Hall and Denver Moore about their friendship and the influence on them of Ron’s wife, Deborah. Ron is white and rich, and Denver is black and homeless. The books are “The same different as me” and “What difference do it make.” You may link to the work of these authors by clicking here.
In these books we learned of the potential of becoming friends with those who have failed in life and have no hope. We recommend the books to the readers of this blog. When I followiedthe link my self I found youtubes of Ron and Denver telling their story. Click here for a Youtube of Denver telling his story.
As I write I am remembering that Pastor Phil Waite advised the congregation that reading novels would help us to empathize with others. I believe that to be true.
