As the election nears, I wanted to offer a couple of recommendations for those who might be interested.

It would seem we are at a critical time, some commentators frequently refer to a “constitutional crises” looming. Is this true or just hyperbole? In The Soul of America, Jon Meacham describes previous times of crises in our nation’s history and how they were overcome. For those who are sinking into despair over what we read, hear or see, this is a must read to offer some historical context to our nation. The reality is, yes this is an important time, but it is not unique. We, as a nation, have faced other perilous times and have overcome them.

Truth has been a topic of discussion since Donald Trump was elected and his foes will lay claim that he is single-handedly destroying the concept of truth. But Michiko Kakutani in The Death of Truth lays out a case to show how Trump is a symptom of our society and not the disease. Sure, Trump has exacerbated the situation but he has taken advantage of clean trends in our society as truth has been slowly dismantled for decades. Kakutani also explores by the truth is vital to a liberal democracy by exploring the rise of other authoritarian regimes.

I offer these books as a means to deepen our understanding of our times. As people of faith, we are called to face the reality and respond in Christ.