Young Adult Book of the Year

Okay, this was written by a colleague. Do you agree? -- Nathan

"Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer - Some of you may be groaning at this pick, saying to yourself: "I am so sick of everything Twilight, blah, blah, blah, and I HATED Breaking Dawn; it was terrible in every way, so why in the world is it on this list, much less being called the #1 Spiritual YA Novel of 2008?" Well, I'll tell you why: It's #1 because of the Zeitgeist factor, zeitgeist meaning "spirit of the age or time." Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series is a contemporary, cultural phenom because it's a whisper on everyone's lips--the young, the old, the boy, the girl, the Dad, the Mom, the cranky husband, and the swooning wife--even if the person whispering has no idea what Twilight even is. It's the new Harry Potter, everyone is going crazy for it, and it has taken on a life of its own. Hence, the zeitgeist factor.

It really, no not really, breaks my heart to interrupt all the enriching banter about lipstick, community organizers, swine and rock stars, but I’m beginning to wonder if either candidate running for our nation’s highest office has noticed that there are serious issues before the United States and the world that might just need a bit of serious conversation.

As just one example, a presidential candidate could help us learn and grow from our experience of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

I was supposed to be in Washington, DC, that day. In fact, the place I was supposed to be is not too far from the Pentagon. However, my itinerary changed so that I was instead in Charleston, West Virginia, on the 11th. Then the planes crashed and people died.

On September 12 and 13, I worked by phone with other religious leaders to draft a statement.... TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE