List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
My initial response to the question: whatever book I read next! I have long looked at the acquisition of knowledge as the key to unlock some unknown magic of self-discovery or universal wholeness or Who-God-Is. Whatever that next book, it will surely, almost certainly, contain that secret. (yes, I am enneagram type 7!) Always it is the next one; but I have learned/am learning to short-circuit the pattern of acquiring the next and replace that pattern with digging deep in the present.
If you know me, you might expect my “already acquired” book list would begin with the Bible (Hebrew and Christian scripture). While that has been important and formative in my life, there have been some other books I’d really like to mention.
Ken Wilbur’s A Brief History of Everything. This book gave me a clear framework for considering the questions of life against the backdrop of: the internal, spiritual journey; the individual, developmental journey; the societal “norms” of beauty, goodness, and truth; and the science of the universe. It’s complex world and I wanted to bring my various ways of knowing together.
The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu in two differing translations (an annotated translation by Derek Lin and a more lyrical translation by Ursula K Le Guin). This gave me a beautiful window into the teachings of another religious tradition and a deeper understanding of my own. In ways I cannot fully explain, reading the Tao opened the ears of my heart to hear Jesus new ears.
The Cloud of Unknowing by an anonymous 14th century priest in two translations (one translated from Middle English by Ira Progoff and the other by Carmen Acevedo Butcher). This writing was the underpinning for the modern teachings of centering prayer. Centering prayer is a form of intention-based meditation that changed and is changing my life.
Infinitely Precious 