Robb + Jessie Married & in the Badger State
Lion skins
Throughout my life I have probably read through the Chronicles of Narnia about 20 times. There are some interesting things about the books that make them somewhat unique as a series of children’s fairy tales.
The first curious thing about the Narnia books is that while fairy tales directed at children, they are also Christian allegories with deeper spiritual meaning interwoven. This applied to my life in that I loved reading about Narnia as an 8-year-old schoolboy because of the fantastic stories of knights, dragons, talking animals, sea voyages, and other adventurous things that 8-year-old boys are interested in.
However as an adult, the books take on new meaning as the stories essentially force me to face and deal with powerful truths about myself, this world, and Christ.
The second curious thing about Narnia is that every time I read these books, I discover some new radical truth or uncover a new perspective on the world that is earth-shattering to my core being. That is quite unique for a children’s book!
I am now yet again finishing up the final book in the series, The Last Battle, and am once again discovering something new. To be honest, this has always been my least favorite book. Not because it is poorly written or anything like that. I have a hard time reading this book because everything wrong that could possibly happen, does happen. There are very few happy moments while reading this book.
I get the most disgust and unease during this book as several evil characters use a donkey in a lion skin to impersonate the Christ-figure of the Narnian world, Aslan. These characters use this “Aslan” to put words into the real Aslan’s mouth for their own selfish gain and the suffering of others. As a result, many of the talking animals, dwarves, and other mythical creatures begin to fear Aslan for his injustice or disbelieve him altogether.
When I read this story again, I finally realized the parallel to our world, where there are many that fabricate their own version of Jesus, attributing words and actions to him that simply do not belong. The real Jesus is not a socially-conservative Republican, nor is he a compassionate and environmentally-savvy Democrat. He is not so small that he fits in our little boxes. Many groups lay claim to their own version of Jesus, styling him after themselves rather than how he reveals himself as the Word of God, the suffering servant who came to befriend and reconcile outcasts and sinners to God. These groups with their fake Jesus’s in the end only turn people away from the real Jesus, as many Narnians turned away from Aslan.
When we try to put Jesus on our team, it is as ill-fitted as the lion skin on the jackass. As Christians, we must not try to get Jesus on our team. It is the Christians who must first get on the team of Jesus.
The Best Place to Live (?)
I have now lived in Madison for about seven months now, and probably the strangest thing about it so far is that there really doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it. The people of Madison don’t have any real needs that I can see. Crime is low. There isn’t a large homeless population here.
I feel somewhat like I’ve stumbled upon the village of Sandford from the film Hot Fuzz, where everyone and everything is absolutely perfect. (At least it seems that way.)
The example of Jesus is to rebuke religious hypocrisy and embrace the outcasts of society, which in his day were prostitutes, drunks, and the tax collectors who betrayed their people to make a profit.
Who are the outcasts and downtrodden of Madison? Where are the people who are hurting? Where are the real needs in a place where everyone and everything seems to be just fine? I will have to dig deeper to find out.
He is Risen!
He is risen, indeed!
Happy Easter
Yes, a day late, but nevertheless true! Both of us were actually pretty sick (Jessie) or getting sick (Robb) thus the reason for the lateness of this post.
the signpost
Practicing faith is both the hardest and the easiest thing you will ever do in your life. It is a mix of so many emotions; when tested, one feels like screaming, crying, laughing, cursing, peeing your pants, and praising God all in the same instant. Maybe that is why a friend of mine described those gifted with faith as “out of touch with reality”. Maybe bipolar is a better description since those are the only other people who can be happy to be sad. Yet, those gifted with faith are the only people who can experience tremendous stresses and appear sane and grounded afterwards.
Faith is the easiest thing you will ever do because the very definition of it means you are growing closer to God. And growing closer to God is the most beautiful and natural experience and the closest you will get to heaven on earth.
When life’s letdowns come, the best thing one can do is talk to God. If you ask him why this jacked up stuff is happening, he’ll probably tell you that he has a plan you wouldn’t believe if he told you. He might also say that it will get much worse before it gets any better (that’s usually how things work), but that the whole thing is part of his good plan. It’s never bad to ask God questions and run to him. When things are at their worst, it’s pretty much all we can do.
mid-summer pondering
hello all.
i realize that it has been ages
and ages
and ages
and
a g e s
since my last post.
sorry.
well. i am back. and now i have a mac. brilliant new toy, actually. i am fond of the iSight … but unfortunately apple made an “update” which left video chatting
destroyed.
honestly!
moving on.
robb, sean and i had a brilliant adventure in the shadow of The Mountain a few weeks ago. we were blessed with beautiful weather and a clear sight of The Mountain pretty much all the time! i think i learned a bit more than i needed to know about sean [including his gastrointestinal habits] but it was such a lovely backpacking trip!
speaking of mountains. when i was driving home from seattle last evening. my breath was taken away by the sheer magnificence of the amber-red sunset behind the olympic mountain range. unable to think i simply smiled at the glorious painting god has created. when i came to, i began to feel this immense sense of security.
this is a good feeling.
lately i have been worrying.
lately i have been overwhelmed.
i was reminded of this verse from scripture:
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
- Matthew 6:34
i felt safe looking at the magnificent sunset and thinking about how tiny i really am in the scheme of everything. even though i may be as tiny as a grain of sand, to god, i am as big as one of the mountains he created. he knows me inside and out because he created me. he created me in his image. and he loves me. so very much. so much that he sent his only son to die the most painful death on the cross for my own sins. sins that i am making each day! including worrying.
sigh.
yes worrying. when one worries one is not putting their faith in god. ouch. that hurts! both parties.
what i need to learn to do now is to stop worrying. how to grow my faith… [i imagine it as a mustard plant, eh?]
well. that is where i am right now. also, i am busy with work. busy with friends. busy with family. busy with figuring out my future… et al.