On the surface, this is a story about lost innocence, betrayal and shame, but at a deeper level it is a haunting study of post-WWII German guilt about the Holocaust. By the author’s own admission, the book asks, “Who is to blame for the Holocaust?”
“You know, our culture venerates heroes who go on fighting till the end, whether on the battlefield or in a hospital bed. Sometimes, though, retreat is the better part of valour, especially if that retreat avoids unnecessary suffering and leads to new life. I’ve fought this cancer for 13 years. I’m ready to retreat to be with my Lord.”
Once freed, Thornhill falls in love with a piece of land on the Hawkesbury River. He has a visceral desire for ownership that can be known only to someone who has never been allowed to own anything, and has grown up in a culture where ownership of property confers dignity upon a man. It never crosses Thornhill’s mind that this sense of entitlement to a hundred acres of “free” land might be misplaced because it is already occupied.
A Christmas story.
Winter, with its long cold nights, is closing in on us here in the frozen North. Getting together with a group of friends once a month for food, fellowship and a good book discussion is a joy indeed.
Unlike God, we humans are time-bound creatures and the language of the Bible, like all languages, is also time-bound with the verb tenses (times) that describe our temporal experience.
As one of the keynote participants in The King’s University’s annual fall Interdisciplinary Studies Conference last month, Dr. Richard Mouw gave a public address, “Reformations Keep Happening: 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities,” (reviewed in the October 9 issue of Christian Courier). I sat down with Mouw after this lecture for an interview. Following is an abbreviated record of our conversation.
In his evening lecture for the general public on September 20, Mouw began by saying that he did not want to look back at the 16th century Protestant Reformation but instead look forward to current and future opportunities and challenges facing the Christian church, within primarily Western Christendom.
Perhaps I’m being a little too persnickety in my critique of these taglines/slogans, but I strongly believe that words do matter. I hope Christian institutions believe and practice that as well.
The sociologist Max Weber discovered that real leaders (those whom inspire others to follow) must possess a blend of uncommon personal traits and learned behaviours. He singled out the traits of charisma (enthusiasm and empathy) and expertise (specific knowledge and masterful communication skill).
Christian Courier is pleased to announce the 1st place winner of our 8th Annual Short Story Contest – Adult Division.
So, what are things? Isn’t it strange how hard it is to define such a common word as “things”? I mean, things are . . . well, just things. Like everything is a thing. Rocks are things, trees are things, planets are things, families are things, governments are things, essays are things, poems are things, theories are things, universities are things and people are things (though not just any old things).
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