The Heart of Literature

In recent years, I've found myself drawn increasingly to books. I have done so not to pass time, but I'm coming to understand it has been a way to nourish a hunger within me. I realize I’ve been craving wisdom, and I’ve come to greatly appreciate the kind of wisdom that lives quietly between the covers of a book.

When I encountered this quote from Madeleine L'Engle, I realized the gift that is given to us within the pages of a book. Literature provides a space free from pressure, free from the relentless push to persuade us that characterizes so much of the daily information diet we ingest. Great literature doesn't demand agreement. It does not judge or scorn if we choose not to agree with the thoughts and opinions it presents. Books allow us the dignity of our own response.

In a world that constantly asks us to choose sides, to react, or to defend our positions, books offer something different: the freedom simply to receive. When we sit with an author's vision, we have the freedom to turn it over in our minds. We can let it challenge us, or comfort us. We can walk away unchanged, or we can be transformed. The book doesn't mind either way. It simply is.

I'm deeply grateful to the writers who labor over their craft. I’m thankful for their pouring out of observations and imaginings onto the page.  They share what they've seen and learned of the world. They trust us with their words. In return, we can trust God to guide our hearts and minds as we wrestle with what we've read.

What draws you to the books that have shaped you? What books have you read and chosen not to agree with? What books have transformed you?