An invitation to read

My kids have already started to ask, and I love this, "When can we sign up for the summer reading program at the library?"

It reminds me of a quote I once read that said the best home decor is bookshelves. I agree. I simply can't get enough of shelves lined with books.

As summer rolls open before us, it is an invitation to read. I would like to invite you to consider reading as a spiritual discipline. It doesn't have to be "spiritual material" to provoke deep thought, humor, discussion, anger, love. Reading will take you all sorts of places.

In the early 80's movie "The Neverending Story," I love when the main character, a young boy named Bastian, comes face to face with the bookstore clerk Mr. Koreander. Mr. Koreander says, "The video arcade is down the street. Here we just sell small rectangular objects. They're called books. They require a little effort on your part, and make no bee-bee-bee-bee-beeps. On your way please." Bastian responds by saying he knows books. But the conversation continues:

Mr. Koreander: Your books are safe. While you're reading them, you get to become Tarzan or Robinson Crusoe.
Bastian: But that's what I like about 'em.
Mr. Koreander: Ahh, but afterwards you get to be a little boy again.
Bastian: Wh-what do you mean?
Mr. Koreander: Listen. Have you ever been Captain Nemo, trapped inside your submarine while the giant squid is attacking you?
Bastian: Yes.
Mr. Koreander: Weren't you afraid you couldn't escape?
Bastian: But it's only a story.
Mr. Koreander: That's what I'm talking about. The ones you read are safe.
Bastian: And that one isn't?

This scene has always felt like a reminder that if you allow it, books can change you. What books have drawn you in, making an impact on your life? I'd love to hear from you about them - please share their titles with me. Here are a few books that have made a difference in my life, and although not all are religious in nature, I have found deep spirituality in their pages. I specifically have chosen some that are more "poolside" reading than something I consider a "highlighter book;" this is code language from me for books I use for research. Instead, these suggestions below have affected me in a different way, tapping into a creative side of my spirit and asking that I explore my boundaries. I invite you to share this experience as well, indulging in one or two this summer.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Harry Potter (all in series) by J. K. Rowling
Kitchen Table Wisdom by Ruth Naomi Remen, MD
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Keeping Faith or My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffenegger
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Moses by Jonathan Kirsch
Horseradish by Lemony Snicket

Some of the readings on this list might surprise you, and there is also a wide variety. Maybe something on the list will appeal to your own summer reading interests. Read whatever you read with a spiritual mind about you, on a quest as a detective to find spiritual themes. This doesn't have to be hard or even intentional work; just a filter that you have in the back of your mind to find gems you might not have noticed. Allow yourself to sit with the questions that are brought to you through story.

What I hope you find as you read, is the incredible power of Story. It is the basis for our faith - oral stories so treasured they were eventually recorded to help preserve them. Our biblical canon is closed now, but our commentary continues. And, if we are open minded and look with care, we may find powerful parable all around us.

My joke is always I can shut down parties with the things I am interested in. But I invite you to play along with me. Imagine the fun you'll have at the pool explaining that you are reading Twilight as a spiritual guide. Or, perhaps, when you strike up conversation that you are reading Moses because it is absolutely smutty. Both comments really are true, by the way - just give them a try with that spirit filter on!

Next week I will continue this theme with "movies you can't miss." I'd really enjoy hearing about your suggestions for me as well! Happy reading, happy summer!

In Wisdom,
Brandi Calhoun Diamond