As I completed the novel Hannah Coulter this week by Wendell Berry, I read a paragraph that startled me with both its simple and profound meaning. It reads, "You can't give yourself over to love for somebody without giving yourself over to suffering . . . It is this body of our suffering that Christ was born into, to suffer it Himself and to fill it with light, so that beyond the suffering we can imagine Easter morning and the peace of God . . . . "
I know that for myself I sometimes forget that we don't have to suffer alone through our illnesses, natural tragedies, or financial problems. Christ's humanity, and humility, allows Him to suffer with us in order to imagine a new day where there will no more suffering. Just today I walked over two miles on one of the neighborhood paths in the crisp air and sunlight of a late January morning. Arkansas, our state, was hit by one of the worst ice storms in years early in the week, forcing thousands of people to lose their power (our house in Farmington was one of those). Many people had to flee to shelters for food and warmth; several people died because of the storm either while out in the elements or in their homes trying to keep warm with generators or fireplaces. Yet the promise of today is for sunshine and temperatures in the mid-sixties. It is almost as if Easter has arrived early with its promise of a resurrected spring soon to arrive.
God tells us that our hearts are not to be troubled by the problems that beset the world. He will, after a long day's journey into night, bring light once again.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Falling Into the Future
My sister called me yesterday to explore our common memories of childhood. Evidently, she is reading a book by Beth Moore entitled Believing God, and she was working on a memory grid, dividing her memories into ten year periods. Since Judy is nearly to the biblical three score and ten year period of her life, she will have almost seven grids of memories. The whole experience of delving into memories reminds me again of the book Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry that I just completed reading. The narrator makes the following observation early on in the novel:
"When you are old you can look back and see yourself when you were young. It is almost like looking down from Heaven. And you see yourself as a young woman, just a big girl really, half awake to the world. You see yourself happy, holding in your arms a good decent, gentle, beloved young man with the blood keen in his veins, who before long is going to disappear, just disappear, into a storm of hate and flying metal and fire. And you don't know it."
I love the way this passage communicates a sense of time, both past and current. In the case of the narrator, her husband Virgil is to go missing in action in World War II shortly after they were married.
I guess we would all, if we are honest, like to have a view of the future when we are young. Judy related to me that one of her early memories was of our father who, one night for a joke on our mother, put on her pink nightgown to make everyone laugh. Judy reports that I laughed and laughed. I appreciated her memory because I have no memory of the incident myself. I often regret that all of my memories of my father are negative--including many drunken scenes throughout my teen and young adult years. As a small child, when I was laughing at him wearing mother's gown, I had no idea of what the future would hold for me: divorce of my parents, my mother dissolving more and more into clinical depression as the years went along, moving into my grandmother's home for five years as a teenager, and so on.
On the other hand, perhaps God has planned life best by not giving us a glimpse of the future, both good and bad. That way we can retain hope for a life beyond what we are currently living and fall into the future with more confidence.
"When you are old you can look back and see yourself when you were young. It is almost like looking down from Heaven. And you see yourself as a young woman, just a big girl really, half awake to the world. You see yourself happy, holding in your arms a good decent, gentle, beloved young man with the blood keen in his veins, who before long is going to disappear, just disappear, into a storm of hate and flying metal and fire. And you don't know it."
I love the way this passage communicates a sense of time, both past and current. In the case of the narrator, her husband Virgil is to go missing in action in World War II shortly after they were married.
I guess we would all, if we are honest, like to have a view of the future when we are young. Judy related to me that one of her early memories was of our father who, one night for a joke on our mother, put on her pink nightgown to make everyone laugh. Judy reports that I laughed and laughed. I appreciated her memory because I have no memory of the incident myself. I often regret that all of my memories of my father are negative--including many drunken scenes throughout my teen and young adult years. As a small child, when I was laughing at him wearing mother's gown, I had no idea of what the future would hold for me: divorce of my parents, my mother dissolving more and more into clinical depression as the years went along, moving into my grandmother's home for five years as a teenager, and so on.
On the other hand, perhaps God has planned life best by not giving us a glimpse of the future, both good and bad. That way we can retain hope for a life beyond what we are currently living and fall into the future with more confidence.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Gracious Grandmothers
For the past few days, we have been hearing about Ty's new dolls that are called Marvelous Malia and Sweet Sasha. We understand that First Lady Michelle Obama is not too happy about these dolls capitalizing on her daughters' current popularity with the public. We have also been hearing, and seeing, that Mrs. Obama's mother will be living in the White House and helping to care and shape the girls' development. If we are going to have Malia and Sasha dolls, might I also suggest a new one called Gracious Grandmother. This suggestion is based upon my belief that grandparents can provide a wonderful influence upon the lives of young, growing children.
Currently, I am reading Wendell Berry's novel Hannah Coulter, which is the story of an older grandmother who is looking back at her life in the small town of Port William, Kentucky, and remembering the formative influences of her own grandmother, whom she called Grandmam. In an early passage, the narrator states, "And Grandmam, as I have seen in looking back, was the decider of my fate. She shaped my life, without of course knowing what my life would be. She taught me many things that I was going to need to know, without either of us knowing I would need to know them." I myself often am grateful for my grandmother who took my sister and me (ages 16 and 12) into her home when she was in her mid-sixties. I stayed with her through junior high school and high school. She, I believe, was happy to do it because of her own generous heart. I think she also realized that the two of us needed stability in our rather chaotic lives up to that point.
I haven't been around grandfathers very much since mine--maternal and paternal--died before I was born. I am certain, however, that there are also generous grandfathers who guide their grandchildren carefully toward adult responsibility. Sometimes I long for the days when the extended family all lived together--grandparents helping grandchildren, children helping aging parents, and so on. I regret that, due to job mobility, many miles often separate us. Our grandchildren change and grow into adulthood far too fast.
Currently, I am reading Wendell Berry's novel Hannah Coulter, which is the story of an older grandmother who is looking back at her life in the small town of Port William, Kentucky, and remembering the formative influences of her own grandmother, whom she called Grandmam. In an early passage, the narrator states, "And Grandmam, as I have seen in looking back, was the decider of my fate. She shaped my life, without of course knowing what my life would be. She taught me many things that I was going to need to know, without either of us knowing I would need to know them." I myself often am grateful for my grandmother who took my sister and me (ages 16 and 12) into her home when she was in her mid-sixties. I stayed with her through junior high school and high school. She, I believe, was happy to do it because of her own generous heart. I think she also realized that the two of us needed stability in our rather chaotic lives up to that point.
I haven't been around grandfathers very much since mine--maternal and paternal--died before I was born. I am certain, however, that there are also generous grandfathers who guide their grandchildren carefully toward adult responsibility. Sometimes I long for the days when the extended family all lived together--grandparents helping grandchildren, children helping aging parents, and so on. I regret that, due to job mobility, many miles often separate us. Our grandchildren change and grow into adulthood far too fast.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Building Happiness
One of my recent DVD selections from Netflix was a small film starring Chris Cooper entitled Married Life. It focused on a married couple who had seemingly settled into a life of dull routine after many years of being together. In actuality, both were having affairs with others. The dilemma of the film centers on the husband's decision to kill his wife because he simply cannot bear to hurt her emotionally. She, on the other hand, has decided she can never leave her husband because he would be lost without her to iron his shirts and perform other mundane, wifely duties. One of the themes, repeated quite frequently in the course of the movie, is that one cannot build happiness on the unhappiness of others. Perhaps this statement is true if one is speaking of marriage, but in the context of today's inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, I would think the opposite is true.
Yesterday the nation commemorated Martin Luther King Day. For those of my generation, and especially those raised in the South during the 1960's, today's events mark the culmination of the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr.--the content of one's character can indeed triumph over the color of one's skin. Yet that time period was obviously a costly one for so many actively involved in the civil rights struggle. It was a time of death, discouragement, and unhappiness as the goal of the dream seemed impossible. Today, however, happiness has indeed been built on the unhappiness and protests of others from our recent history.
Barack Obama was not my candidate in the recent election. It was a decision not based upon the color of his skin but on his inexperience. I hope to be shown I was wrong as the months go on, and we witness his leadership and decision-making ability. The unhappiness in America is strong with the worldwide economic near-collapse and wars on two fronts. After these events end, I would hope, and pray, that America obtains some happiness again.
Yesterday the nation commemorated Martin Luther King Day. For those of my generation, and especially those raised in the South during the 1960's, today's events mark the culmination of the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr.--the content of one's character can indeed triumph over the color of one's skin. Yet that time period was obviously a costly one for so many actively involved in the civil rights struggle. It was a time of death, discouragement, and unhappiness as the goal of the dream seemed impossible. Today, however, happiness has indeed been built on the unhappiness and protests of others from our recent history.
Barack Obama was not my candidate in the recent election. It was a decision not based upon the color of his skin but on his inexperience. I hope to be shown I was wrong as the months go on, and we witness his leadership and decision-making ability. The unhappiness in America is strong with the worldwide economic near-collapse and wars on two fronts. After these events end, I would hope, and pray, that America obtains some happiness again.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Resisting Not Evil
Once again I have been called upon to think about the Bible verse from Matthew 5, verse 39, in which Jesus says, " . . . not to resist an evil person." The reason for my latest reflection is based on the final scene from the Clint Eastwood movie currently playing in theaters, Gran Torino. Throughout the film, the viewers witness repeatedly gang threats which tease and border upon impending violence. Finally, the violence becomes a reality near the end of the film, raising the question once again for the aging Dirty Harry character of how justice (and possibly revenge) will occur. We have seen Eastwood's famous line repeated in seriousness and in comedic jest for the past thirty or so years, "Make my day." In this film, however, viewers must also reflect with the hero on whether vigilantism is indeed the best choice.
We all know the cliche, yet hardly believe it, that violence begets violence. We have somehow lost faith in our justice system with witnesses to a crime being silenced by fear and intimidation. We would much rather pick up a weapon of choice and handle the perceived injustice ourselves.
In Jesus' life, however, even though He was the chosen Son of God, He did not come to set up an earthly kingdom. His intention was never to wield a sword before the world. Instead He chose to live, and to teach, a life based upon sacrifice and service. He is to be our model for justice.
I have learned in recent months that it takes almost superhuman will power not to resist evil. I have learned that prayer, however, can actually change a situation from evil to . . . at least less evil. I have seen God working behind the scenes, as we say, to bring about changes that I could never make happen through my own power. Witnesses to violence have come forward, made phone calls, and done investigations in a case currently close to me. I continue to wait to see how evil will turn to good as Romans 8:28 promises us as Christians, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
We all know the cliche, yet hardly believe it, that violence begets violence. We have somehow lost faith in our justice system with witnesses to a crime being silenced by fear and intimidation. We would much rather pick up a weapon of choice and handle the perceived injustice ourselves.
In Jesus' life, however, even though He was the chosen Son of God, He did not come to set up an earthly kingdom. His intention was never to wield a sword before the world. Instead He chose to live, and to teach, a life based upon sacrifice and service. He is to be our model for justice.
I have learned in recent months that it takes almost superhuman will power not to resist evil. I have learned that prayer, however, can actually change a situation from evil to . . . at least less evil. I have seen God working behind the scenes, as we say, to bring about changes that I could never make happen through my own power. Witnesses to violence have come forward, made phone calls, and done investigations in a case currently close to me. I continue to wait to see how evil will turn to good as Romans 8:28 promises us as Christians, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
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