Understanding – the First Step Towards Compassion: Ender’s Game

enders gameEnder’s Game by Orson Scott Card

“…it did not occur to them that this twelve-year-old boy might be as gifted at peace as he was at war.”


Well, I’m not a huge Sci-Fi reader, but I had seen the movie Ender’s Game and decided to give the book a try, and I’m so glad I did! One of my rules is that typically I won’t watch a movie until I’ve read the book first, but this was one of those cases where I didn’t know about the book (which was published in 1985) until after seeing the film. I still hold to my theory that the book is always better than the movie, but I am going to watch the movie again, now having read the book. This may not be the greatest science fiction novel – I don’t read that much sci-fi so I may not be the best judge – but I liked it. Continue reading “Understanding – the First Step Towards Compassion: Ender’s Game”

Being a Christian Behind the Iron Curtain: Children of the Storm

children-of-the-stormChildren of the Storm by Natasha Vins

“There are no greater riches than Christ, and you feel this especially keenly when they want to take Him away from you, when they forbid you to share these riches with people . . . But people need Him so much! Jesus—is there any name more dear to a redeemed soul?”— Georgi Vins

As Americans, we have enjoyed increasing freedom and prosperity as a nation over the past 200 years. While not every individual has experienced the same level of prosperity or opportunity, generally speaking, we are currently more privileged in many ways than the majority of the rest of the world. We often take our comfort and liberties for granted until we feel they are actually being threatened. We may look at other countries that have had oppressive governments, both in the past and the present, and worry that America could one day find itself moving in a similar direction. One such country that is often used as a comparison is the Soviet Union, the nation behind the dreaded “Iron Curtain.” Continue reading “Being a Christian Behind the Iron Curtain: Children of the Storm”