Happy Easter

It's Easter morning. I was going to go to the Easter "sunrise" service (at 7 a.m.) at the park, but no one I know wanted to get up that early and go with me. In the end I couldn't summon the energy to challenge the jibe. [note: it rained anyway.] We'll be lucky to make it to the 9:30 a.m. service, and it will be crowded because this is one of the only two days each year that many people go to church.

For Easter Nicole gave me a tiny, battery-powered reading light - so that I can clip it on my book and read in the dark - and a Noah's ark game that nephew Jarod and I can play with. I gave her a set of mullet haircut magnets (she is amused by mullets more than most people I know) and a Jesus rubber duck (Jesus with a modified beak and a duck's tail, bathtime fun).

I wish I could get Easter presents for everyone, but what I can do is to give folk my favorite Christian book this year. I've always wanted to give folks I know a book that gives a good presentation to answer the question, "So John, I can relate to your interests in movies, books and music, but I just don't get the Christian thing -- why are you interested in that stuff?"

I know some interesting Christian biographies or Christian "I'll prove it to ya!" types of books that *I* like, but I've never imagined that my friends and loved ones would naturally relate to them. In the case of "Hind's Feet on High Places" this is also the true, ha, but this is a brilliant book.

When "Hind's Feet on High Places" was recommended to me years ago I thought it looked completely goofy and very girly. Kind of like a darling plush toy. Worse yet, it's an *allegory* (like "Pilgrim's Progress"; the characters have names like Much Afraid and Craven Fear). For some reason I tried to read it and to my surprise it sucked me in.

It's a very simple story about a young woman who is following the Shepherd up a mountain, but it's so...deep! Profound! Apart from the Bible (when was the last time you cracked open the bible? That's what I thought.) it's the best and most accessible explanation I've read that demonstrates why a reasoning, intelligent, completely imperfect person would be drawn to Christian faith.

What's more, I'm giving it to you this year with your birthday present, so deal with it. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but it's coming. Happy Easter!