Unknown If you were stranded on a remote desert island somewhere and could only have ONE book with you, what would it be?

G. K. Chesterton, the famous British writer, was once invited to a meeting of the leading intellectuals in England. They were asked if they were shipwrecked on an island, what would be the one book they would want to have with them. Everyone expected Chesterton, a prominent Christian, to say “the Bible.” When it came his turn to speak, however, Chesterton said that if he were shipwrecked on a desert island, he’d like to have “Thomas’s Guide to Practical Shipbuilding.”

Now there is an intelligent Christian!

Chuck Colson wrote about this recently and highlights the fact that we need to look at and engage with life holistically, not just spiritually. Food for thought. 

The Bible is of utmost important but we don't want to be like the Pharisees who knew the Scriptures so well but missed Jesus (John 5:39-40) … and God's will for us is revealed in many ways, including through people, creation, wisdom and life experience. 

2 thoughts on “Which book would you want if you were shipwrecked on an island?

  1. One large enough to use as a boat, to get to the nearest island (that has water to drink and food to eat.)

  2. That is very funny Alice 🙂 I agree that we need to engage with life holistically, not just spiritually… But personally, even if I were shipwrecked, I would have my Bible with me… My Bible goes where ever I go! Never leave home without your instruction manual 🙂 you just never know when you will need to use it. Any intelligent person would know how to string a raft together without having a book. Even if you did have a book on building a boat, where would you get the tools that the book recommends, being on an Island? How did people in Jesus’ day build boats? They used their imagination… all except Noah who had help from God! 🙂 Just a thought.

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