Monday, August 04, 2008
The Keys of the Kingdom
A. J. Cronin's The Keys of the Kingdom is a must read for every Christian and probably everyone who knows a Christian. One of my top five favorite books of all time. Right up there with Lord of the Rings. It's all about what really mater in life; our walk with Christ and our relationships with other Christians and with people who believe radically different things. Humility and charity and courage and all sorts of little adventures on the way. I don't know how much to tell you about the story. It traces the life of a Scottish Priest from the death of his parents in his childhood, through his youth and missionary work in China (which is the main part of the book that got made into a great old movie with Gregory Peck!), to his old age. He is an utter failure in the eyes of the world and the more worldly members of the Church but he is a great hero in the kingdom of God. There is a proud German nun, some Protestant missionaries who rock my universe, lots of Chinese villagers of various wonderful characters, and an atheist doctor who doesn't go to hell. This one will be going with me to college, or anywhere else I end up. Go read it! NOW!
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3 comments:
My goal this summer has been to read one "substantial" book per month. June's was Heart of Darkness. July's was the Complete Father Brown (not so much substantial in content as in size). I've been having a difficult time deciding on August's. I've been looking at the dubiously thick Ivanhoe and thinking... maybe some other time. So now I think I've made my decision!
Oh. And I absolutely loved the Book of Three by the way.
Oh DO read Keys of the Kingdom for August!! I think you would really like it.
I'm glad you liked The Book of Three. :D I really can't believe you got through childhood without ever running into Lloyd Alexander.
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