Categories: uncategorized
Date: 02 February 2005 21:23:26
Reading a book a month for pleasure is just about the only New Year's Resolution that I've managed to keep (along with the doing a bit of London culture a month that I've been doing since last May). Having finished "The Five People you meet in Heaven" and since then having read "A Churchless Faith" (which I may muse on another time) (or maybe not), I decided I wanted something a bit lighter. As I had a bit of time to kill last night between doctor's appointment and nurse's appointment I had thought about reading the book I'd bought my godson for Christmas, but as my GP surgery is where a number of my colleagues and my manager are based, I thought it would be a bit embarrassing if any of them caught me in the waiting room reading "The Adventures of Captain Underpants". So I guess I'd better save that for another time.
Instead I scoured my shelves for unread books (there are loads there) and plumped for Paolo Coelho's "The Pilgrimage". To be honest I probably should have gone with my initial instincts and gone for something a little lighter, but it's easy enough to read. Coelho is one of those authors I always thought I should have got into before and never have, and although now I'm part-way through the book I can see the appeal it's not going to change my life or anything. It's an account of his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. To be honest I've so far been more moved by the Mystery Worshipper report on the Camino (see Ship of Fools MW reports from a few months back) than this account - I'm seeing more soundbite profundity here than glimpses of God. Although I must say I'm glad that my cynicism is extending beyond church to the extent that it's sending me back to seek God more rather than running away into the arms of pseudo-spirituality. That can only be a good thing.