Fill the Stage

Daniel Dignan

Fill The Stage

“Character is Destiny”

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Land of Hope

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One of the most interesting books I’ve ever read. It’s the story of America, encompassing the events that led to its founding (unrest in Europe), significant happenings, and notable leaders. Overall, Wilfred McClay endeavors to explain what makes America a land of hope.

Leaders include Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., and many more. Events include the Revolutionary War, industrialization, the Civil War, modernization, the World Wars, and subsequent developments.

The author excels at connecting the dots between events and leaders. I can’t recommend it strongly enough.

King Arthur And His Knights of the Round Table

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Ancient tales about a friendly king and his brave knights who founded a kingdom in Britain. They established order and freedom, seeking the glory of God, the punishment of wrongdoing, and the promotion of righteousness.

The book begins with Merlin, a mysterious wizard and a young boy who became worthy to wield Excalibur, a mighty sword, and rule as king. His character and leadership attracted a group of men who became the knights of the Round Table. Through many strange quests and adventures, they confronted evil knights and kingdoms, rescued damsels in distress, and achieved heroic acts of bravery.

The stories of many great knights are told, including the greatest of them all, Sir Lancelot of the Lake. The adventures culminate in a quest for the Holy Grail and a final battle.

Which knight did you enjoy the most? Which quest and why?

Hand Me Another Brick

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This book explains the book of Nehemiah, an Old Testament book about leadership. Nehemiah is the best book on leadership ever written. Another is close, The Education of Cyrus, but it does not quite reach this level. Nehemiah is shorter and it is about a common man who became an uncommon leader.

Nehemiah was a cupbearer, a position of trust, for King Artaxerxes, who was the leader of the Persian Empire. Messengers from Jerusalem told him that the people were in dire straits and the city was in ruin. Nehemiah prayed and established a plan to rebuild the wall and reinvigorate the city.

Chuck Swindoll has been a Christian leader and pastor for decades. He wrote several books on biblical heroes. This book is designed to help those who aspire to lead reflect on what is necessary for effective leadership. Nehemiah has 13 chapters. The author goes chapter by chapter, covering topics like the following:

  • the role of prayer in the life of a leader
  • preparation
  • motivating oneself and others
  • dealing with opposition and criticism
  • handling discouragement
  • resolving financial issues
  • handling promotions well
  • dealing with intimidation
  • setting priorities
  • dealing with problems

You should read this book more than once. At the very least, write down the main points so that you can review and put them into practice.

1 Samuel For You

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Samuel is a book in the Old Testament that’s key to understanding the entire Bible. It’s about the nation of Israel 1,000 years before Christ. Things were a mess. The people wanted a king. Samuel, the prophet, anointed Saul to be king. However, Saul did not become the hero.

David, a humble shepherd boy, becomes the hero. In a war between Israel and Philistia, David defeats a giant named Goliath. The people rejoice, but Saul grows jealous and tries to kill David. Saul turns away from God and loses everything, while David seeks after God and is exalted.

David suffered persecution, became king, and rescued his people. But more importantly, Samuel reveals that David’s life pointed to a greater king, Jesus of Nazareth.

Samuel is a riveting story. Many life lessons can be learned. And Bible teacher Tim Chester is a marvelous guide.

Studying Samuel and David will help you:

  1. Understand the Bible better
  2. Learn how to make friends
  3. Learn how to handle difficulties
  4. Learn how to lead
  5. Learn how to become a less anxious, happier person

What did you find most helpful about 1 Samuel?

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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King Caspian journeys across the eastern sea in search of the seven lords who were loyal to his late father. Joined by Edmund, Lucy, and the priggish Eustace, they have many unusual, scary, and thrilling adventures.

Caspian’s leadership is tested on the Lone Islands. They meet a dragon, a wizard, and other unusual creatures. A sea serpent, a land of dreams, a lake of gold, and the end of the world are in store. Reepicheep (a talking warrior mouse), like a brave knight, spurs them on to feats of bravery and honor as he tries to reach Aslan’s country.

Pay attention to the character contrasts between Eustace (the anti-hero) and the heroic Reepicheep. We are meant to learn from both. Also, the dragon episode is one of the key parts of the book, alluding to truths revealed in the Bible about becoming morally clean.

This is the third book in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. I recommend reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, first.

What did you most enjoy about this story?

Beowulf

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Beowulf, a Scandinavian warrior, fights a monster named Grendel, then Grendel’s mother, and finally, years later, a fire-breathing dragon. Winning great honor, he eventually became a king, the bulwark of his people.

An ancient and renowned tale, over 1,000 years old, Beowulf was initially written in Anglo-Saxon, or Old English. This translation is regarded as one of the finest—poetic, epic, and gripping. About one hundred pages, it’s a quick read and hard to put down.

The unknown author offers a glimpse into the ancient heroic age of the Germanic peoples, who migrated to England and Denmark. They lived by the warrior code and sought glory through warfare.

Beowulf achieves great honor, and there are thrilling moments, and indeed, happy seasons. However, a perceptive observer noted that the book begins and ends with a funeral, revealing that the world is not enough.

Some of the great literary minds studied the tale. J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, translated Beowulf in his 30s and went on to teach it for decades, writing a commentary. (I have not read it.) In this translation, you can see the Old English on the left-facing pages; modern English is on the right.

Finally, after you read the epic, I recommend reading Seamus Heaney’s introduction.

What did you think about the story?

Called to Lead

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This is one of the best leadership books I’ve ever read. It’s about two leaders who changed the world: Nehemiah and Paul. Nehemiah lived in the 5th century BC. He rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem after the Babylonian Empire had destroyed it. Paul lived in the 1st century AD. He wrote much of the New Testament and planted churches that spread Christianity throughout the world. Both of these efforts took tremendous leadership.

John MacArthur taught the Bible for over 50 years at Grace Community Church in California. He explains leadership principles that are implied in the stories, such as trustworthiness and discipline. The resources and the teacher (who was a respected leader) make the book a really helpful guide to those who want to lead well.

While the Bible is not primarily a book about leadership, it contains stories of leaders whose lives are worthy of examination.

What leadership principle interested you the most?

Horseriding

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Horses are magnificent creatures, enjoyed by leaders and everyday people for thousands of years. George Washington and Winston Churchill rode horses in combat. (Virginians considered Washington their best horseman, and Churchill rode in Britain’s final cavalry charge.) Legends, like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, rode horses in battle and on their quests. Princes of history and fiction learned to ride well: Cyrus the Great and Capian are two examples. Paul Revere’s midnight ride marked the beginning of America’s War for Independence and is perhaps the most famous horseback ride in history.

During America’s westward expansion, families crossed the Great Plains and farmed with horses, and young men carried mail across dangerous wilderness in what became known as the Pony Express. Cowboys on horses drove cattle across the Midwest. Horses played a big role in westerns like the Rifleman, and in classic John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies.

The world has changed, but horses still play a vital role. Police officers ride strong, beautiful horses in cities to maintain public order and peace. Horses play a critical role in state funerals and parades. And beautiful thoroughbreds are raced in the Ascot and the Kentucky Derby.

Horses, except for the lion, are quite possibly the most honored of all animals. No creature has helped man quite as much. They feature prominently in classic literature and the Bible, where it is revealed that Christ will return on a white horse.

Horseriding has been considered a noble activity. Churchill wrote,

No one ever came to grief—except honourable grief—through riding horses. No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle. Young men have often been ruined through owning horses, or through backing horses, but never through riding them; unless of course they break their necks, which, taken at a gallop, is a very good death to die.

Learning to ride a horse well is exciting, but it’s also a challenge; it takes time and effort to become comfortable in the saddle. It’s important to know that horses are intelligent creatures. An expert rider can guide a horse with the slightest prompting. I recommend giving horse riding a try at a local farm.

Do you ride? What is your riding horse like?

Churchill

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To become a leader, you must develop your character. For this, it helps to read biographies of great leaders. This has been recognized for thousands of years. Plutarch, a Roman politician and writer, wrote the Parallel Lives, in which he compared the characters of Greek and Roman leaders.

If you are interested in business, read a biography of a successful businessperson, such as Walt Disney. If you are interested in ministry, read a biography of a missionary, such as David Livingstone or Gladys Aylward. If you are interested in science, there are several good options, in particular, Michael Faraday. He is a true rags-to-riches story, and he changed the world. If interested in politics, it’s hard to beat George Washington and Winston Churchill.

Identify what they did well. If you observe a great habit, write it down and try to put it into practice. Note their mistakes and how they handled them. Also, note their vices and moral failings. (A definitive biography reveals the good and the bad.)

The best biographers are both entertaining and accurate, revealing what their subjects were like, what they were trying to do, and how things turned out.

Churchill quite literally saved Western Civilization during World War II. His rise, and fall, and rise is a fascinating story. Some consider him the most excellent leader of the 20th century. I recommend reading Paul Johnson’s short biography of Churchill.

Warning: once you start reading about Churchill, you may not find it easy to stop.

Knowing God

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I read this book when I was 19. I have read many great books, but this is one of the only books that has made me a happier person. The author helps readers study the Bible and gain insight into what God is like.

David, an Old Testament king, devoted a lot of time to getting to know God as a teenager by studying the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). He wrote this about God: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11, English Standard Version)

What did you find most helpful about the book?