I'm reading "the Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. I was skeptical when I started the book, but everyone I'd spoken to said it started out a little rough, and to just hang with it, that it gets better. Well, I'm just over halfway through the book now and am enjoying it thoroughly.
One of the best things I've read in it thus far is a comment one of the characters makes about the recent Congolese election. He says the Congolese people struggle with the idea that if a candidate gets 50 votes, and the other gets 49, how the one could possibly be declared the winner. Their feeling is that then almost half the people will be unhappy, and there will be trouble down the road. Therefore, the chiefs of each village work tirelessly to compromise, discuss, and even argue until there was unity in everyone's decision. I read the passage to Ed and told him that's what's wrong with our country right now--all division and little unity, as far as politics are concerned. The one side won't work with the other, and the other doesn't want them too anyway. I mentioned maybe it would be a good idea to go back to having the winner be the president and the runner up the vice president. He said, "We used to do that?" :)
I recommend the Poisonwood Bible, even though I haven't finished it. It has some really great lessons in it about loving your neighbor.
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3 comments:
One of my favorite all time books, Linda. There was more visual imagery in the first few pages than I'd read in a loooong time. It was a labor of love to get through it all.
As for the election discussion, our church in the early days when we were in charge of our own politics too operated very much like the chiefs. As far as religious things, it just came down from Joseph about the was it was going to be and that was it. Social and political issues were discussed and tried to be brought to a consensus.
One of my favorite all time books, Linda. There was more visual imagery in the first few pages than I'd read in a loooong time. It was a labor of love to get through it all.
As for the election discussion, our church in the early days when we were in charge of our own politics too operated very much like the chiefs. As far as religious things, it just came down from Joseph about the was it was going to be and that was it. Social and political issues were discussed and tried to be brought to a consensus.
Love your comments Quinn. That might be an effective secondary method, but I kind of feel like that's happening a bit (a lot?) already. Works for the Church; not sure it's such a good idea in politics.
As I got to the end of the book I felt like she started getting preachy and doing exactly what her book proclaimed was bad, bad, bad. Intentional? Perhaps. Still recommend it as a great read.
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