A recent news report explained that a school district in Mississippi had removed Harper Lee’s classic, To Kill a Mockingbird from a middle school reading list because the book's language "makes people uncomfortable." I am offended by this on two levels. First, this is one of my favorite books. The book and film that came from it both challenged my prejudices and gave me hope for a better society. Second, we need to read things that make us uncomfortable. If we only read those who agree with us, we stagnate. Listening to others’ ideas and experiences help us to grow. As my friend John Tyler posted on Facebook in response to this report: “If I followed this ‘thinking’ at home, I'd pull all my Bibles from the shelves. Most of what Jesus says, as reported on the Bible's pages, makes me uncomfortable. Learning, growing, and adopting new perspectives and behaviors can be painful experiences. Very often, change and pain...
Comments from a Christ-follower on things that matter to him