Books in the Time of Coronavirus

A lot has changed since the last installment of this newsletter. It's been a month but has felt like a year, am I right?

When we commenced our quasi-lockdown here at the Hoiland house (a little over three weeks ago), I happened to be immersed in one book about nuclear weapons and pretty deep into another about "America's poor, drug-addicted, and forgotten."

Both books are important, deserving of a wide readership. In normal times. But during pandemics we need to give ourselves grace to read books that won't simply weigh us down. As Michael Card writes in A Sacred Sorrow, there's a big difference between lament and despair. Yes, much of our current situation is lamentable. We feel that deeply, as we should. But if we can take small steps to steer clear of despair – and to help those we love do likewise – we'll be doing well.

Needless to say, I scrapped my plans to read William Cavanaugh's Torture and Eucharist for Lent. Who knows, maybe I'll be ready to read it by this time next year. But not right now.