Books about time, bittersweetness, and Jesus
Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell
I love Odell's writing more than I can say (her book How to Do Nothing was one of my top six books I read in 2021): she writes with earnestness and creativity, making me think about each subject in a new and often startling way. In this wonderful book, she offers her insights into a variety of topics related to time— busyness, concepts of productivity, "slow living" as something to be consumed instead of experienced, the inherent classism of most conversations about leisure, the way that modern capitalism has shaped our sense of what time even is, and so on. The book is mostly analysis, but is threaded through with a narrative of her taking the reader ("you") on a trip from her home in Oakland to a series of locations, described in exquisite detail, emphasizing the themes of each particular chapter. Highly, highly recommended.
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain
This book was recommended by my cousin (thanks, Alison!), and it came at a good time, as I faced the end of 2023 and grappled with my self-conception and the lasting trauma of some personal things that happened this year. Cain's writing is clear and straightforward, drawing upon science and philosophy, religion and memoir, to explore the idea of the particular combination of sadness and longing for a better world that can help us seek connection, find meaning, heal intergenerational trauma, and generally make sense of our experience here on earth. I especially appreciated her encouragement to turn our pain into art, and to not shy away from the inevitable bittersweetness of life. It inspired me to try to open my heart a bit more to my childhood self who listened to sad music just so I could cry— to be bittersweet in a harsh world is a skill that must be cultivated. Lots of great food for thought here.
Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven by Amy-Jill Levine
My Sunday school went through this book, and it was really good! Levine is a Jewish scholar and brings a distinctly Jewish sensibility to Jesus' most famous sermon. In between calling out anti-Semitic interpretations of the text, Levine gives a scholar's perspective on how Jesus' teaching, in contrast to the common Christian narrative that he was "breaking all the rules," follows the normal interpretive rabbinic practices of the time, as well as discussing how we might grapple with these concepts in our modern lives and communities. Whether you agree with her interpretations or not, this book is well worth the read for any Christian wanting to go over some of Jesus' most famous words with fresh eyes.
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Previously on What I've Been Reading:
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