I’m kind of a private person, introverted to the point that being alone does not freak me out, but sociable enough to enjoy interactions. I’ve also lived a good number of years outside of the United States, speak a second language rather fluently (thinking and even dreaming in that language).

I like to play my cards rather close to my vest, and in conversation, use language to my advantage. I like puns (particularly in my second language: an example, when referring to my daughter-in-law, I might make the pun from the word nuera and the phrase sí era).

I just finished reading a rather outstanding book. I saw it a couple months ago on the New Books display in our library. I checked it out, read a bit overnight, returned the book, and bought my Kindle copy of the book the very next day. I knew after reading just a few pages that I wanted to keep it for myself, mark it up, highlight it (things that one should not do with a library copy of a book).

The book is Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible, by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien, InterVarsity Press, 2012. The book is divided into three parts, borrowing the analogy of an iceberg, that much of the cultural differences that cause us problems are hidden below the surface: Part One–Above the Surface; Part Two–Just Below the Surface; and Part Three–Deep Below the Surface.

The book covers some recent hermeneutical emphases, such as honor/shame, patron/client, and the ever present individualist/collectivist divides. One chapter that I particularly enjoyed was in the Deep Below the Surface section of the book, and dealt with Rules vs Relationships.