Leaders are readers – of good books.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon was the library, or a quiet bookstore…this has not changed. When I was 16 I took a trip to Colorado, to spend my summer days at a stuffy little theological/apologetics extensive learning camp called Summit Ministries. The founder of Summit Ministries was a man named Dr. David Noebel (ie. “Doc”) –a learned scholar, and illumined speaker. To be honest, I don’t remember a vast amount from this trip or from the teachings. However, I do remember getting in trouble for wearing a too low V-neck tank top to breakfast one morning (news flash, at 16 I definitely didn’t have boobs, and sadly this still hasn’t changed now at 22), the terribly cold mold-infested showers, and making friends with 3 very unique, and exceedingly wonderful roommates whom I still keep in contact with. First, there was Charlie, a girl with extremely long, brown hair, and a gift for dancing. Emma, probably one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever met (and recently married, CONGRATULATIONS!), and Kendall, a fiery red-headed Indonesian (yes, red-headed…and recently engaged, CONGRATULATIONS!)

Annnnddd …this is where I venture off from my blogging topic momentarily to insert in this picture:

It’s so true. Ok, let’s get back on track…

Despite these surface level memories, I do remember a few things Dr. Noebel said, most-notably, “Leaders are readers – of good books.” He was passionate about reading, passionate about getting us to read, and every-time he spoke, he challenged us to try to read one good book a week.

Today, after church, I moseyed on over to Barnes and Nobles. I had no real agenda, no sought after book to acquire, just an open afternoon to explore some pages. As I walked in, an unexpected wall of emotion hit me, something I’ve honestly never felt before. Generally, when I walk into a book-laden cove, I’m eager to happily bounce around from one shelf to another, gingerly passing pages between my fingers in swift book-treasure-hunting-anticipation.

But today, something was different.

As I waddled through the sea of memoirs, self-help, and how-to books, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed at my sheer lack of unintelligence surrounding any one topic. It was a frustrating feeling to feel. Brilliant ramblings graced my surroundings, and there I was, standing at a “fluff” shelf, circled by many others, greedily devouring easy to digest sentences and brain-plateauing topics. Disgusted at myself and the elementary writings currently in palm, I suddenly remembered those distant words from Doc: “Leaders are readers--of good books.” I put down the “best-selling”, popular word-filth and scrambled over to the philosophical and religious book sections. Granted, I’ll be the first to admit that there’s a phenomenal amount of “fluff” within these vast topics too, however, there’s something much more brain-stimulating, about trying to wrap your head around seemingly unanswerable philosophical and religious oriented questions. Lately, I’ve been trying to stretch and broaden my (admittedly) narrow worldview, and understandings of the people and cultural sects within the world around me. I have a strong interest in Mosaic Law, Judaism, and have often enjoyed reading several books authored by Rabbi’s. Although I am not Jewish by culture or religion, Christianity has its roots in father Abraham and the Torah, and thus, I feel there is much to be learned from those who have spent their life studying and living out this cultures’ history and associated writings.

With this in mind, I started to rummage through the nearby literatures. The Great Partnership, a dusty bottom-shelf book, written by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks caught my eye. Throughout the years, science and religion have indisputably warred, both literally and figuratively. As Rabbi Sacks put it:

“The story I am about to tell is about the human mind and its ability to do two quite different things. One is the ability to break things down into their constituent parts and see how they mesh and interact. The other is the ability to join things together so that they tell a story, and to join people together so that they form relationships. The best example of the first is Science, the second, Religion. Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean. Without going into neuroscientific details, the first is a predominantly left-brained activity and the second is associated with the right hemisphere.

Both are necessary, but they are very different. The left brain is good at sorting and analyzing things. The right brain is good at forming relationships with people. Whole civilizations made mistakes because they could not keep these two apart and applied to one the logic of another.

When you treat things as if they were people, the result is myth: light is from the sun god, rain is from the sky god, natural disasters from the clash of deities and so on. Science was born when people stopped telling stories about nature and instead observed it; when, in short they relinquished myth.

When you treat people as if they were things, the result is dehumanization: people categorized by colour, class or creed and treated differently as a result. The religion of Abraham was born when people stopped seeing people as objects and began to see each individual as unique, sacrosanct, the image of God. One of the most difficult tasks of any civilization – of any individual life, for that matter – is to keep the two separate, but integrated and in balance. That is harder that it sounds.

The have been ages – the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries especially, when Religion tried to dominate Science. The trail of Galileo is the most famous instance, but there were others. And there have been ages when Science tried to dominate Religion, like now. There are some who think we can learn everything we need to know about meaning and relationships by brain scans, biochemistry, neuroscience and evolutionary psychology, because science is all we know or need to know...

Both are wrong in equal measure. Things are things and people are people. Realizing the difference is sometimes harder than we think.” 

As I sat reading in a rather uncomfortable wooden Barnes and Nobles chair, next to a skinny man who was wearing stretched-out white socks, and breathing rather vociferously... I couldn’t help but think to myself: “Geesh...this is good stuff, and Doc would be proud, yah?”

I want to be a leader in my generation, someone of influence and inspiration to those I encounter. And, that’s just it, isn’t it? The popular definition of “leader” is someone who is in charge of a group, or organization – but I think a much more self-applicable definition of “leader” is someone who knows who they are, what their worldview foundation rests upon, and thus, when they are inevitably called on to lead in whatever capacity…they can do so in an educated manner. Whether I am leading as a mother, a friend, a coworker, I am responsible for myself, my worldview, and the manner in which I conduct myself. If I am proclaiming to be a Christian, a follower of Christ, I better darn well have an educated answer for what I believe and why. I would never call myself a professional pianist, had I only taken a few lessons and learned how to play chopsticks. Likewise, I am becoming increasingly aware of my “chopsticks” like education and understanding of faith and the religion to which I choose to adhere. Being reminded of Docs words “Leaders are readers – of good books.” Was a reminder to wake my brain up, and tackle some hard questions and topics; such as Rabbi Sack’s discussion on Science, Religion and the search for meaning, within this book.

I have often approached conversations of Science and Religion as an either/or contrast when questions become increasingly foggy. Hence, I am looking forward to reading more in Rabbi Sack's book, and hopefully being able to approach, or at least gain a better understanding on how to adopt both sides of the dichotomies in an more educated and tasteful manner. Science and Religion, philosophy and prophecy, Athens and Jerusalem, left brain and right brain, etc. etc. etc.

And, this is just one book, and one topic…an undoubtedly vast and extensive topic, but, one topic nonetheless. I am hopeful that this book spurs a reawakening to quest after knowledge in my own life, and perhaps, this blog post an awakening or reawakening to quest after knowledge and understanding in yours.

Choose to be a leader, a well-educated, well-read, leader.

Happy page-turning…and thanks for the reminder, Doc.