Best this month
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Last Call at the Oasis
Water is essential to our lives—without it humans die in three days. Water fuels our businesses, industries and agriculture. It provides us with much needed recreation. But instead of being good stewards of this precious resource, we have squandered it by our irresponsible habits and poisoned it with toxic chemicals and waste
from agriculture and industries. Now America is facing a water crisis that could well spell doom for cities like Las Vegas, areas of the country like Southern California, and millions of citizens who may not have access to fresh water. The experts interviewed in this documentary say the longer we remain in denial about the serious- ness of the global water crisis, the less likely it will be that future generations will have the bounties we take for granted. One of the most interesting sections of this film deals with the popularity of bottled water (43 percent of which originates as tap water), the fear of municipal tap water, and the challenges facing those who want to get the public to accept recycled wastewater.
This is an important documentary that every family should see so they can be better stewards of water (Par- ticipant Media,
www.lastcallattheoasis.com, not rated).
Simple Faith: Moving Beyond Religion as We Know It to Grow in Your Relationship with God
In the Garden
This delightful board book for children ages 1 to 3 is written by Elizabeth Spurr. Early on so many little boys
get caught up playing with trucks or trains or mon- sters. It is both refreshing and salutary to see a little boy who is planting seeds in a garden. It’s not easy work as he hoes the rows and pulls the weeds. But the reward of green sprouts and leaves is well worth the wait.
The Brussats pub- lish the website www. SpiritualityandPractice. com where you can find more information about the items reviewed in this column.
In the garden the boy is tutored in the value of working with nature to create beauty. He also wit- nesses the miracle of new life. Best of all, this experience outdoors gives him a chance to express his nurturing instinct (Peachtree,
www.peachtree-
online.com).
42 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
Margaret Silf is a popu- lar retreat leader and a Christian author of many books. She believes our relationship with God pro- vides us with meaning and purpose in life and also is
an outlet for God’s grace and love. In other words, it’s a two-way street. In this accessible book she talks about the call for Christians to discern the divine presence in everyday life. We are also to honor the awesome mystery of the Holy One who is above and beyond our reason and comprehension. Jesus, too, must be freed from any prison of logic and dogmatism. As Silf writes: “Jesus is the one who lives completely true to the Father’s dream for humanity.” A person of faith is both a meaning-maker and someone who wants to make a difference in the world. To do so, we seek out faith communities and soul friends to help us (Loyola Press,
www.loyolapress.com).
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