A Wolf...

I'll always be grateful to my parents for instilling me with a love of classical music. Of course, when I was young, I had no idea that Swan Lake and The Nutcracker (to name a few) were stunning pieces of musical genius; I simply enjoyed the "princess stories." And therein lay the real cleverness of my parents: they got me hooked early on.

I was reminiscing the other day about one musical piece in particular: Peter and the Wolf. Mom and Dad bought me a Disney book + tape combo, so I could listen to the music while following the book (via classic Disney-esque illustrations).

I will never forget my childhood fascination with this piece, and to this day, I LOVE listening through Peter's little adventure. Its real beauty is contained within the story, told entirely through music. Each character is so expertly personified by instruments, that it's easy to forget that the only speaking character is the narrator. THAT is an example of art as substance: while the narrator is necessary to establish a frame of reference, the music tells the real story.

I've been reliving part of my childhood the last few days by listening to this wonderful little story, told through music. I added it to my playlist so feel free to join in!

A Twilight...

If you have a television or computer, you have heard of Twilight. A novel series by Stephenie Meyer, the Twilight series chronicles a "forbidden" love affair between a vampire and a human girl. I read the books, and did enjoy them. But there are a few reasons that I find the pop culture's over-the-top, seizing obsession with them a bit concerning.

1) Evil is Sexualized. Vampires in the Twilight series are tied to their blood lust. While the Cullen coven seeks to abstain from feeding on humans (a good plot choice by Meyer), it is a temptation that is not actively quelled. Edward is constantly telling Bella that he yearns, desires, LUSTS after her blood. The evil is thereby sexualized, and although he never ends up killing her, the harm has been done. The Bible reminds us in 2 Corinthians that we "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Obviously, the series is not "Christian" and cannot, therefore, be expected to abide by Christian commands, but the principle remains. If Edward truly wished to free himself from his blood lust, he would not invite Bella into his sexualized fantasy.

2) Evil is Glorified. If Meyer wanted a true hero in her novels, she should have kept Bella a human. The vampiric lifestyle is an evil one, a point stressed by Meyer again and again. But then our heroine becomes one? That is an unoriginal cop out. Because the evil is sexy, alluring, and promises immortality, we eventually want Bella to become the very thing that, throughout the novels, comes close to destroying her. For Meyer to allow that to happen is to follow the romantic and sexual intrigue of the story, as opposed to having her character stand up for what is right.

3) Evil is Overlooked: Bella is a character totally lacking in depth. Once Edward enters her life, he swallows her identity (which, up to that point, had only been outlined in a few sentences about her being quiet and clumsy) . He is God to her, the person for whom she lives and breathes. This masochistic self-denial (which leads Bella to ignore her own safety and well being) offers us a glimpse into the complete opposite of a healthy relationship. Love, for Bella, requires that she forfeit her family, her values, her conscience, all in order that she devote herself more fully to Edward. If Edward was a character who knew what real love meant, he would never have allowed Bella the freedom to throw away her life as she does. Real love has natural limitations: until both parties realize that they serve God first, they cannot fully serve each other. Additionally, Jacob (Bella's friend and eventual werewolf) represents another love temptation for Bella. Really? Were Bella so overtly in love with Edward, as Meyer seems to indicate, wouldn't it be contradictory to introduce another love interest? Yet it remains so. Jacob is a man who tempts Bella to deny her love for Edward and follow a human life. It would seem the healthier option, but Edward wins out in the end, making Jacob's contribution to the novels nothing more then a sexually charged intrusion.

I know these points may seem rather serious, given that Twilight is a fictional series. But the obsessive following the books (and ensuing films) have garnered has been enough to turn the Twilight novels into a cult phenomenon. Girls swoon at the thought of Edward luring them into the dark, vampiric dream. Obviously, wishing for a vampire boyfriend can do nothing but harm. A violent and lustful creature, whose very life is consumed by an overwhelming desire to kill humans, should not be an idol for young girls today.

But that is exactly what is happening.

A Mourning...

I don't know about you, but when I hear the names John Calvin, Martin Luther, Augustine, etc., I cannot help but imagine brilliant, SERIOUS theologians, complete with robes and a frown.

What we quickly forget, however, is the incredible amount of humor and passion these great men had. And in some cases, this passion for the dramatic was shared by the women standing alongside them.

Katie Luther was an incredible woman. I could spend hours talking about her incredible influence in Martin's life, but one story stands out to me as a perfect example of her wit and wisdom.

Martin Luther was a deep thinker. His thoughts often carried him into the depths of man's sinfulness, which would leave him depressed for weeks or months at a time.

Once, when Luther was so depressed that no words of counsel seemed capable of penetrating this darkness, Katie decided to don a black dress. Luther asked: “Are you going to a funeral?” “No,” she replied, “but since you act as though God is dead, I wanted to join you in the mourning.

He quickly recovered.

I love this. What a wonderful reminder that God appreciates humor, and drama queens. I have a feeling that Katie and I will make great friends someday.