Musings on My Dad’s Library and His Love for Books

Books.

My Dad had a lot of them. It’s near impossible to know the exact number. He would tell me that it was a library of 10,000+ books. I tend to think it may have been closer to 15,000 “in it’s prime.” He wasn’t much for buying the latest books, but if you needed to look at an aged commentary set or do a deep dive on a Catholic doctrine, his library was exactly what you needed.

Since his death a few weeks ago, we have begun going through his library to decide where his books should go. Some will end up in my church office; some will end up in my brother-in-law’s church office; some have been moved to my mom’s home study; some will end up in the homes of members of my Dad’s church; some may end up staying at the church he pastored.

Wherever they end up, I am confident most – if not all – of them will be used and appreciate by saints.

My Dad loved reading. He could read 3-4 books a week if he wanted to. I average about half of that, and I don’t think that will ever improve or change. My mind doesn’t work like his.

But his love for reading was an example to me. His love spurred on my own reading. As a new Christian, every time I asked a Bible question, he would give me a book to read. During college and seminary my birthday and Christmas presents were sets of books I still use.

One of my Dad’s greatest investments in me was books. My Dad fed me a love for books.

It was Charles Spurgeon, who had a library about twice the size of mine, but half the size of my Dad’s said, “What must ministries become if their pastors minds are starved? It is not a duty to relive the famine which is raging in many a manse? Is it not a prudential measure, worthy of attention of all who wish to see the masses influenced by religion, that the preachers who occupy our pulpits should be kept well furnished with material for thought?”

My Dad’s example of reading has kept me well furnished. Well done Dad, good and faithful reader!