Do you use either of these two words? Peculiar? Treasures? Do you ever use them together: peculiar treasures?
I rarely say, or write, peculiar.
I rarely state, or type, treasures.
I rarely mention, or journal, peculiar treasures.
But in my book Things We’ve Handed Down: Twelve Letters I Leave for You, I used those two words as the title of the introduction: “Peculiar Treasures.” Since all the book’s chapter titles—plus the introduction’s title and the conclusion’s title—come from the titles of books which have impacted and influenced my life, I started the book with this one. It fits. Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who’s Who, a book by Frederick Buechner, fits. Right there, as the book’s introduction, the book title fits.
Not because my book is peculiar or a treasure or a peculiar treasure.
Because you are.
Because I am.
We are each unique. All created in God’s image, but all unique.
Peculiar? I guess.
Treasures? Absolutely!
Read my book, Things We’ve Handed Down.
Read Buechner’s book, Peculiar Treasures.
In his book, Buechner wrote about biblical characters. He describes them in his creative way. The introduction reveals how writing the book invigorated him: “What struck me more than anything else as I reacquainted myself with this remarkable rag-bag of people was both their extraordinary aliveness and their power to make me feel somehow more alive myself for having known them” (Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who’s Who, Harper & Row, 1979).
It did that to me, too. That is why I selected his book’s title as the title of my introduction. His book introduced me to biblical characters I had read about, studied about, preached about, wrote about. And it fit the direction of all the chapters of Things We’ve Handed Down. All the peculiar things, all the treasures, all the peculiar treasures that have been handed down to us and that we can hand down to others.
So, let us read and learn. And let us live as God’s peculiar treasures.
this post is a beautifully reminder for us of the profound value in our unique qualities, encouraging us to embrace our distinctiveness as gifts. Your reflections on imperfection as part of the journey, rather than something to fix, offer a fresh and inspiring perspective. This perspective not only promotes self-acceptance but also a deeper understanding of others, seeing differences as special and purposeful. This approach celebrates our individual quirks as integral parts of who we are, inviting us to see ourselves and others as precious, just as we are. Thank you for this thoughtful reminder to find beauty in our differences. we should see our unique characteristics as gifts rather than flaws.
I like that you mentioned that Buechner’s book was introducing you to characters in some ways that you already knew. As you said these are biblical characters you have read about, preached now, and likely learned lessons from, but it wasn’t till his book that you really got to know them. In some ways that’s how spiritual formations and studying psychology has made me feel about myself. Technically of course I have always known myself. That being said it wasn’t till these classes that I had more of an opportunity to not only know myself but understand myself.
I like that you identify peculiar treasures not as the chapter introduction of the book because it describes the book itself, but rather it describes the one reading the book. I would agree that we are in fact, peculiar treasures, each in our own unique way. What a way to begin the book!
The words “peculiar treasures” is such a unique way to describe something. When I think of those words put together I think of something special that doesn’t quite fit the mold but that is the reason why it holds so much value. Our differences among ourselves as people and in the mundane things we pass by every day are truly peculiar treasures. We just have to take time to notice the gift that they truly are to us. Life itself is a peculiar treasure, the feelings we experience are peculiar treasures we just have to pause and notice them.
I enjoyed reading this blog and I look forward to read both your book as well as “Peculiar Treasures”. I thought about all the things in my life that i call treasures or that I would consider a treasure. It started out as material things but the more I thought it became the people in my life who add value and who make me a better person. I could be the poorest of people and I would still be rich due to the people in my life who are and will always be a Peculiar treasure.
I love how you mentioned that the name “Peculiar Treasures” is not about your book being a peculiar treasure but that the people are. I think that this is beautiful, so many people try so hard to just be “normal” but we aren’t. We are all different individuals beautifully made for God’s image, His image of us is an absolute peculiar treasure.