Making the Dean’s List

The Mascot

By Mark Kurzem

I discovered this book on an academic trip to Oxford, England in the local author section of the UK equivalent of Barnes and Noble. It is written by a Commonwealth Scholar from the University of Oxford. First, this book is intriguing in that it is a biography about the author’s father. Secondly, the author was able to overcome skeptical Oxford scholars by demonstrating the veracity of his father’s story and add to the understanding of WWII history. The author’s father, Alex Kurzem, was five years old when his Jewish village in present-day Belarus was decimated by a German-led execution squad. His father was away fighting for Russia and his mother hid him in their attic during the mass execution that claimed his mother and siblings. He survived alone in the woods for six months in 1941 only to be taken in by a Latvian police battalion that became an SS squad. Alex hid his identity while he became a subject of Nazi propaganda films, appeared in German newspaper articles and even rode in German military parades in full SS regalia as a “mascot.” It is a story of courage and providence. It is a compelling story of a son (the author) attempting to help his father discover his forgotten past and inform history with a new holocaust story, all while bringing a father and son closer together.

Radical

By David Platt

Platt is the lead pastor at Church at Brook Hills in Alabama. Radical is about engaging in a yearlong experiment in what he defines as authentic discipleship. He says we should pray for the world and join the mission field. Platt suggests we are all called to pray yet also to serve. Secondly, though I would suggest not a radical thought, we should have a deep read of God’s word at least ve out of seven days to make an impact for Jesus with a “saturated mind.” Third, we should use our money for a specific missional purpose. The author suggests those who live in affluence are called to use our affluence in a Gospel-centered way. Platt’s final tenant is to spend time in another context (missional work). He suggests that sending money for mission work is not enough, but all need to go and serve as well. Platt believes that serving is not a calling, but a command that if we give two percent of our time (about a week) it can further the Gospel in radical ways since we are blessed by God for a global purpose.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters

By Meg Meeker, MD

Meeker is a Christian pediatrician with a practice that focuses primarily on young girls. She writes of some of her anecdotal and empirical work about understanding the influence fathers can have on their daughters. Personally, we have a 15-year- old daughter and as I attempt to understand her thought processes, decisions and issues that are important to her, this book attempts to relay how, as her dad, I can influence her in her faith and life- decisions in the present and assist her in becoming a strong and con dent woman. Meeker identifies 10 “secrets” for fathers that strengthen their relationship with their daughters, thereby shaping and influencing their lives. This book provides great insights into how a father can connect with his daughter in all stages of her life and helps to identify strategies to influence and support her as she matures while tackling the most difficult issues that many dads don’t attempt to address. This is a must-read for all dads raising daughters of any age.