Pandemic Reads

Citizens of Tournai bury their plague dead, Pierart dou Tielt (c. 1353); image from here

I'm tired. Are you tired? Pandemic fatigue has hit me hard. It's been eight months of lockdowns of various degrees here in Germany, and the economy minister just announced we should expect at least 4-5 months more of the same. At least. Ugh.

For us, the difficulty is one of duration and not severity. Thankfully, we've all been healthy, maintained employment, and have everything we need. The disappointments (canceled visits, events, and vacations) are mostly minor, though I dearly miss (and desperately need) fellowship with friends, family, and church. But there's no end in site (despite recent vaccine breakthroughs)- we must adjust expectations. Turning that calendar to 2021 will not magically cure things. It will be months, and could be years, before we're back to 'normal.' 

In difficult times, I've found great benefit in reading about the hardships of others. I don't think it's schadenfreude, that German expression that so accurately captures our human tendency to rejoice in another's suffering. Rather, I believe (or, at least, I hope) that it is taking comfort in knowing that I'm not alone. We're not alone. Others throughout history (and today) have suffered far more, lost far more, endured far more, and overcome far more. And our sovereign God can and does use even these dreadful experiences for the good. With that in mind, below I present books that may be oddly encouraging to you during this pandemic. Presented in no particular order.

Plague

In one plague, read about another. The following works are about the Bubonic plague, which ravaged Europe (and the world) on and off for over 300 years.

A Distant  Mirror (Barbara Tuchman)

Barbara Tuchman is a master. Enjoy her prose as she walks you through the 14th century, including a short (but very well done) section on the 1350's Black Plague.

Journal of the Plague Year (Daniel Defoe)

A journal covering the 1666 plague in London, including insights into man's behavior in such times, and the secondary effects of plague on society. 

The Black Death (Philip Ziegler) 

From 1347-50, about one-third of Europeans were killed by the Black Death. Its origins, nature, and consequences (economic, social, religious, and other) are discussed here. 

Eyam: Plague Village (David Paul)

Another account of the 1660s plague, this time focusing on a tiny town in England's Peak district which made the bold decision of quarantining themselves (the entire village) to protect their neighbors.

Religion

Hardship of all kinds turns our hearts to religious matters. Why does God allow suffering? Evil? Pandemics? The following works investigate the nature of this broken existence.

The Problem of Pain (C.S. Lewis)

The great C.S. Lewis investigates a topic of much consternation among believers and non alike- why does a good God allow pain? He discusses the different kinds of pain, Heaven, Hell, and a variety of related topics here.

Not the Way It's Supposed to Be (Cornelius Plantinga)

The world is broken, and that's not God's fault- it's ours (sin entered the world through Adam & Eve).

Fallen: A Theology of Sin (Christopher Morgan, editor)

"The human phenomenon bears witness that something is wrong- with the world, with us, and with me." Similar to the previous entry, this book looks at man's fall and why it matters.

Extravagant Grace (Barbara Duguid)

The essence of Christianity: we cannot act on our own, we cannot earn anything good, we deserve condemnation, and nothing we do can change that. Thankfully, God changed the game for us. He acted without our consent or desire to draw us out of the abyss- and He did so without any action of any kind on our part. We are utterly dependent upon Him at all times. Even our faith in Him is a gift from Him. Learn more about this extravagant grace, our ultimate hope in a fallen world.

Hardship

Endurance (Alfred Lansing)

Trapped in the Antarctic ice in 1914, this is a harrowing tale of resilience and hope in the midst of all manners of perils. Astounding read.

Night (Elie Wiesel)

This is a raw and profoundly sad read about the author's experience in a concentration camp.

The Hiding Place (Corrie Ten Boom)

A Christian house dedicates themselves to hiding Jews from the Nazis in the Netherlands.

Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand)

The incredible story of Louis Zamperini as he endures all manner of horror as a WWII POW.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Dee Brown)

The heartbreaking story of the American West, told from Native American eyes.

War

Can anything on Earth be worse than war? Visit my page on top 10 war books and ponder the harrowing accounts that remind us just how dreadful we can be to each other- and how heroes will rise to the task.