Quote of the Day

"But it remained the special trait of Calvinism that it placed the believer before the face of God, not only in His church, but also in his personal, family, social, and political life. The majesty of God, and the authority of God press upon the Calvinist in the whole of his human existence. He is a pilgrim, not in the sense that he is marching though a world with which he has no concern, but in the sense that at every step of the long way he must remember his responsibility to that God so full of majesty, who awaits him at his journey's end. In front of the Portal which open for him, on the entrance into Eternity, stands the Last Judgment; and that judgment shall be one broad and comprehensive test, to ascertain whether the long pilgrimage has been accomplished with a heart that aimed at God's glory, and in accordance with the ordinances of the Most High...

Love and adoration are, to Calvin, themselves the motives of every spiritual activity, and thus the fear of God is imparted to the whole of life as a reality - into the family, and into society, into science an art, into personal life, and into the political career. A redeemed man who in all things and in all the choice of life is controlled solely by the most searching and heart-stirring reverence for a God Who is ever present to his consciousness, and Who ever holds him in eye - thus does the Calvinistic type present itself in history. Always and in all things the deepest, the most sacred reverence for the ever-present God as the rule of life." (69-70 & 72) ~Abraham Kuyper in Lectures on Calvinism

Come Away to the Water

After watching the Hunger Games, my thoughts were flying. Anywhere. Everywhere. One philosophical argument after another. But that's not the subject of this post; I'm planning a post on that later. :) Anyway, my dear friends commented that the movie had little instrumental accompaniment. The score was lacking. To be frank, I hadn't noticed. That's when it struck me. A brilliant directorial decision. Less music.

In his book Amusing Ourselves To Death, Neil Postman comments on the evening news and that it (almost) always begins with music. ♫Da Da Da Duh. Ba Ba Buh.♫ "I'm Dan Rather. And here's the news." Why the music? Why the need for a jaunty tune? What does it communicate? This *is* entertainment. On 9/11, the evening news aired without music. They recognized this serious occasion was not entertainment. And while, movies are entertainment (more on that later too), the director (or producer's) of The Hunger Games made a deliberate decision not to include a deep, full score. I want to think that he recognized the seriousness of the subject matter. The Reaping. The Games. The Evil of the Capitol. It doesn't need musical accompaniment. The gravity of the matter can speak for itself.

The above being said, I am growing quite attached to the Songs from District 12 and Beyond inspired by The Hunger Games CD. Maroon 5 has an AMAZING song detailing the attitudes of some tributes. My thoughts exactly.

Come away little lass come away to the water,
To the ones that are waiting only for you.
Come away little lass come away to the water,
Away from the light you that you always knew.
We are calling to you.

Come away little lad come away to the darkness,
In the shade of the night we will come looking for you.
Come away little lad come away to the darkness,
To the ones appointed to see it through.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.

Come away little lamb come away to the water,
Give yourself so we may live anew.
Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter,
To the ones appointed to see it through.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.

Come away little lamb come away to the water,
To the arms that are waiting only for you.
Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter,
To the one appointed to see it through.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.

Picture Credit: Kinopoisk and Google Image Search

Déjà vu

This sounds like a conversation we had after The Hunger Games - and after morning worship about Anne 3. Albeit, more tongue in cheek. Laughing at yourself is healthy - this video helped me. :)

The Winner is: Dystopia

Huxley. Orwell. Bradbury. All giants in dystopian literature. And in today's pop culture, their legacy and penchant for dystopia is writ large. Look around. Dystopia seems to be everywhere. Books, movies, music. Whether this a passing fad or a genre here to stay and make its mark, we must wait and see. Meanwhile, what is our course? The ostrich approach is neither fruitful nor realistic. Already, different journalists (See TIME and WORLD) and commentators are writing about the "dystopian craze." So, why add my voice to the din? Firstly, the written word possesses the ability to order my thoughts, and coherency is a worthy goal. Secondly, writing about a complex topic is wonderful.

Supposedly, it began in college. My freshman fiction class was assigned Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Within a few pages, I was hooked. As a child, I had lackluster feelings for The Giver, but Huxley's world changed my opinion of dystopian literature. Huxley led me through a world where people had given up freedom for pleasure and the oppressive government regime was all too happy to oblige. His prose was horrific and powerful. In similar a vein, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 impressed and challenged me. Not to be left behind, George Orwell (1984) and others will and are making their way into my "stack."

Two teen dystopias, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth, passed through my stack in the past few weeks. And despite my doubts about both of them, they enthralled me. Engaging and exciting, these stories were well-written. Collins and Roth demonstrated their gift for story without neglecting moral philosophy. The stories aptly convey the sinful overreach of government and the tragic results that follow - whether in family or otherwise. Divergent, particularly, weaves a tale where virtues become vices when they are idolized. Both futures value the hero who is willing to die for others - who values other's lives more highly than his own. A virtue worthy of the highest praise for it reminds us of our savior. In these ways and others, Hunger's and Divergent's capacity for truth should not be underestimated.

But neither should it be overestimated. While establishing the sinfulness of man, Collins and Roth simultaneously confuse the reads with messages of protecting life and of destroying it. Which do they believe is right? Or is it supposed to be murky? This reader wishes she could agree with them more - if only their moral philosophy had begun with true wisdom. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 1:7a

Perhaps, I am not being fair. Afterall, I have only read one book out of each trilogy. My criticisms and objections could be answered in the next installment of each set. And I do hope so. For I admire a good dystopia, and I've enjoyed reading both primary stories. Even in those futuristic, dark worlds, full of sin, hatred, and oppression, one can find biblical truth. And in those bleak stories, the light shines more potently.  For what good is fiction, if it does not project the good, the true, and the beautiful? The dystopian genre can forcefully portray these ideals - even in the negative.

Sing to the LORD a new song

Psalm 96

"Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.

Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.'

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains;

Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness." 

YLCF's March of Books

It's that time of year again! YLCF is hosting their annual "March of Books" event. And, being an event about BOOKS, how could I resist? I'm particularly interested in blogging along with their list of blog posts...

March 12 - Photo: My Favorite Place to Read

Do you prefer to read curled up on the sofa or in an old rocking chair?  Maybe you love to read in the bus on the way to work or on your lunch break between classes. Wherever you like to read, we want to see a picture of it — and if you can get yourself in the picture, too, that would be extra fun!  Be ready to link up on March 12 with a blog post featuring a picture of your favorite place to read.

March 19 - Children’s Books Link-Up

You don’t have to be under age 10 to enjoy children’s books!  This year, we’re featuring a separate link-up on March 19 just for reviews of and details about your favorite children’s books.

March 26 - March of Books Reviews Link-Up

We’ll wrap it all up by sharing the links to all the other books we’ve been reviewing on our blogs this month.  (Duplication is fine — we’d love to see your reviews of the books we review at YLCF this month, and reviews of the ones your friends are reading and reviewing, too!)

Come with me and join in the fun. Share your thoughts, plans, and excitement about books. Post comments on my blog or blog your own. Can't wait to see with what y'all come up.

Need further information? See here and here.

Picture Credit: Google Image Search