I've just finished reading Turtles All The Way Down by Gordon Atkinson. I just loved it. I know the cover looks lame and the title doesn't seem to make any sense, but reading it makes you feel good inside. Not in a fleeting, isn't-that-nice sort of way. But, in an I-can't-comprehend-the-size-of-our-solar-system-isn't-the-universe-awesome kind of way. And in a way that I can't fully explain. He sees and describes the world and God in such a wonderful way.

The book is a collection of essays from a favorite blog of mine, Real Live Preacher. Atkinson is a baptist minister (who just recently decided to change occupations) from San Antonio writes the blog, which consists of theological essays, an ongoing fiction series, life stories and dramatized bible stories. It is such an honest and realistic view of spirituality, that it has been really inspiring to me.

I had read many of the essays in the book previously because I was part of the pre-order group who acted as an editorial board. Atkinson decided to self-publish this book so, he requested pre-orders and once he reached his goal, he had enough capital to go to the printers. My name is even printed at the beginning of the book and the author signed my copy. I thought it was a pretty good deal.

I received it in December, but it got put on the shelf and I had forgotten about it until last month.

This is his second book, I also own a copy of his first, Reallivepreacher.com that I enjoyed too. And his A Christmas Story That You've Never Heard audio book is on my iTunes and I listen to it every year.

While reading, I wished that I was in a book club on this book because I wanted to talk to others about it. Maybe, I'll get some people at my church to do that next year. And I kept thinking, so and so would love this book. There are at least 5 people that I want to give this book to.

"I will never know exactly what Jesus said, how he said whatever he did say, or what he meant when he said whatever he said in whatever way he said it.

You see my problem.

What I have are the tattered words, songs, and gospel remnants from twenty centuries of people jumping two-footed into hope. That's all I have, and I am keenly interested in these things.

I'm like a rag picker, rummaging through a mountain of moldy prayer books, old hymnals, triptych art, candle stubs, ancient texts, and other things. I crawl all over the pile, poking here and there with a stick. When I find something that interests me, I sit down and take a closer look. I flip through the pages. I look at the pictures from every angle. Sometimes my head will tilt to the right, like a dog that has just heard something very interesting."

Exerpt from All That Has Ever Been Hoped on RLP and featured in Turtles All the Way Down.
Julie @ 10:16 AM Permalink |