Motivation & Energy Summer 1980

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A number of our readers came up with the same good idea. Why not ask Christian leaders to tell us about the books which hare influenced them most over the lust five years? One of our interviews was with Vernon Grounds; here's what he told us.

I look for books to broaden my vision and sensitize my spirit to the problems and needs around me. The best books remind me that, despite technological transformation and increasing knowledge, human life and human nature do not change. There are a few basic verities, and these shine through good books which recall me to the essentials.

Jacques Ellul's Ethics of Freedom (Eerdmans) is the most probing analysis of the subject I've come across. Ellul examines political freedom, but also talks about working it out in all human relationships. In a kind of dialogue with the Bible, he relates the Christian concept of freedom as rooted in the liberating work of Christ. It's an original and brilliant work that I've found of practical value in implementing freedom in my own life.

I've found that biographies encourage and reinforce me in my daily struggles. I feel uplifted when I realize other Christians confront the same dilemmas and maintain consistent discipleship through them.

A recent biography, Lonely Walk, The Life of Senator Mark Hatfield (Christian Herald Books), explores the spiritual development of a man who has achieved national prominence, and depicts his struggle to apply biblical principles to the issues he faces. The book is a portrait of honesty and courage-qualities which are essential in my own struggle to lead effectively. In today's roughand-tumble arena, I need to see other leaders face the agonizing difficulties of implementing Christian values in their profession.

Of all twentieth-century ...

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