A Common Thread
You may have noticed a common thread weaving its way through many of my 21 Things posts. It wasn't intentional, but the majority of my musings relate to literature or art in some way. They reveal what speaks to me, and most importantly how God speaks to me. Books certainly don't replace the revelation of His Word, but Jesus demonstrates that it is in God's character to interact uniquely with each individual, especially since he is the one who created us to be unique. Think of how different the people were who encountered Jesus, like Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman at the well, or the disciples. John, known as "the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 19:26)" was given special insight into the depth of that love, while Peter's impetuosity and fear was met by Jesus' firm but tender question: "do you love me?" (John 21:16). They had unique gifts and struggles yet Jesus was speaking to both of them, equipping them for the tasks ahead.
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Eric Liddell, the 1924 Olympic gold medalist said: "God made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure."
Well, I feel God's pleasure when I read (and dance! - but that's a topic for another day).
I've always enjoyed reading, but I've struggled lately to reconcile it as a skill.
When I was younger I could measure my reading abilities by the expectations of the school system. Reading a book for ages 12-14 when I was 9 gave me confidence. It was always the content of the book that was of most importance, but reading something bigger or unique for my age instigated enjoyable conversations with friends and strangers alike. Yet now that I'm older, books are not measured by their level, only by their genre, and sitting in a public place with a book in hand doesn't draw conversation. I miss that.
There are countless stories that have shaped the landscape of my mind, but the more that I read, the more I realize how little I've read and how little I know, and how little I'll ever know.
It reminds me of a statement made in Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury:
"The first thing you learn in life is you're a fool. The last thing you learn in life is you're the same fool."
Reading teaches critical thinking and empathy, but unlike painting or playing an instrument or a sport, they are skills not easily visible. Despite this, I will continue to read, to learn and to listen.
Its comforting to know that God uses fools :)
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We all have skills that bring us joy and satisfaction, drawing us to look beyond ourselves.
What makes you feel God's pleasure?
Chasing After the Wind
This week I've been reading Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and though I find his dialogue style rather hard to follow, every once in awhile a bold line or descriptive phrase will arrest me with its poignancy - often I have to reread it a few times to get it, but that satisfying "aha!" moment is worth the attempt!
One of the earlier chapters in the novel describes the characters attending a private screening of a silent film with their friend the lead actress. Their dialogue is crafted in such a way as to capture the frivolous and superficial culture of the Roaring 20's.
They say everything and yet nothing.
Yet when the actress offers Dick Divers a screen test he refuses and the dialogue turns serious when he states:
"The strongest guard is placed at the gateway to nothing... Maybe because the condition of emptiness is too shameful to be divulged."
He's speaking of Hollywood and his words are maybe even more applicable today almost a hundred years later.
The American Dream.
Rags to riches, the desire to be "known" by the world, and the anticipated wealth and bright lights are empty pursuits, and yet they remain alluring in a strange and twisted way.
A more contemporary example would be La La Land, a beautiful movie created in the spirit and colour of old musical classics, but one that leaves the viewer (at least me) unsettled. The characters have chosen their dreams over each other and despite their individual successes, there is that same, unmistakable "condition of emptiness."
I'm reminded of Ecclesiastes 2:3-4, 10-11
“I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly… I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure… I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself…Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
A Collection of Quotes Part I
The title is rather self explanatory :)
Below are a few random, thought-provoking quotes that I've highlighted in my reading.
One of my pet peeves is when quotes are taken out of context (especially online) or attributed to the author instead of their character, but I also understand the power of brevity.
Isn't it amazing how so much can be said with so few words?!
"The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." - Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
"Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him." David Copperfield, Charles Dickens.
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." - The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis
"Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round and pluck blackberries."
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Dumblerdore in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, J. K. Rowling
