November 27, 2009

Make Love, not war.

Make Love, not war. Let's end the myth of redemptive violence.
"Violence is for those who have lost their imagination. Has your country lost its imagination?" (hospital administrator in Iraq)

"Our world is desperately in need of imagination, for we have spent so much creativity devising ways of destroying our enemies that some folks don't even think it's possible (much less practical) to love them. We have placed such idolatrous faith in our ability to protect ourselves that we call it more courageous to die killing than to die loving."
Shane Claiborne - The Irresistible Revolution
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
Jesus - Luke 6:27-36

November 8, 2009

the journey continues


It has been nearly eight months since I wrote about my friend and I completing our fantastic 18 month journey through the 11 books of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. But our milestone, albeit a major one, was not the journey's end. It gave way to a season of pause... to reflect, to appreciate, to anticipate, and to mourn. Sadly, Mr. Jordan died before completing The Wheel of Time. His passing left a chasm that cannot be filled. He was a unique and special soul, and he cannot be replaced. But, thanks be to the Light, Mr. Jordan passed the torch, albeit indirectly, to Mr. Brandon Sanderson. Mr. Sanderson will take us on the remaining journey, a journey with the characters we know and love, to the fascinating places we have savored, experiencing the amazing events as the Wheel turns toward the Last Battle. He will bring us the story that Mr. Jordan envisioned, all the way through to the ending that Mr. Jordan himself wrote before his passing. As I pick up The Gathering Storm, volume 12 of 14 of The Wheel of Time, I'm filled with excitement. Just finishing the Prologue, I already find myself caught up in this epic tale of good and evil, of humans like us making choices which will affect the outcome of the Last Battle.

Our season of waiting is over this weekend as we set out once again to complete the Journey. Mr. Jordan, thank you for the wonderful journey. I give back to you the words that you wrote so many years ago:
"The Light shine on you, and the Creator shelter you. The last embrace of the mother welcome you home."
- Shienaran eulogy, ch.10 "The Great Hunt"

November 2, 2009

into Aslan's country


Our Maisy has gone to join Cassie and Callie (our passed kitties) in Aslan's country, where they are all talking animals now. We will miss her very much, but we are grateful for all the wonderful years she shared with us. The Pinnacles, Wilburn Ridge, the (not so) wild ponies, and Mt. Rogers were just practice for high adventure in Aslan's country. Further in and higher up!
"The creatures came rushing on, their eyes brighter and brighter as they drew nearer and nearer to the standing Stars. But as they came right up to Aslan... they looked in the face of Asian and loved him, though some of them were very frightened at the same time. And all these came in at the Door, in on Asian’s right...

Further in and higher up!” cried Roonwit and thundered away in a gallop to the West. And though they did not understand him, the words somehow set them tingling all over. The Boar grunted at them cheerfully. The Bear was just going to mutter that he still didn’t understand, when he caught sight of the fruit-trees behind them. He waddled to those trees as fast as he could and there, no doubt, found something he understood very well. But the Dogs remained, wagging their tails...

Aslan said... “The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.”

And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."
C.S. Lewis - "The Last Battle" - The Chronicles of Narnia