The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 11:20 AM

Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter has always intrigued me - if nothing else, just for the title alone. I am now disappointed that I checked it out of the library - because I want to keep it. I have this thing with books that I want to have my own copy and borrowing from the library or from a friend feels less like the love affair a good book should be and more like an illicit get together with someone else's partner.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter centers not only the lack of partnership, but the cutting isolation of the five main characters in the Depression - era south. Biff, Jake, Mick, Dr. Copeland all look to Mr. Singer for something that goes deeper than companionship and acceptance to affirmation and love, even while Mr. Singer, a deaf-mute, literally withholds himself from all but the object of his affection - who is a louse.

Perhaps most importantly, each of the main characters ascribe nothing short of godhood on Mr. Singer - which each of the four very different characters projecting themselves and their desires onto the deaf-mute. To Mick, Mr. Singer is one who understands the music like her, while Jake, a labor agitator, knows that Mr. Singer has communist and socialist sympathies just like him. Comically, Mr. Singer informs his friend that he simply cannot understand why these different people continue to seek him out as he does not understand what they say to him. Tellingly, each of the characters have dreams in which they are presenting nothing short of themselves to Mr. Singer (as God) for approval.

Ultimately, (needless) isolation results in tragedy.

I wonder how I have isolated myself. I wonder what I have projected onto God that is not really of Him - just what would make me more comfortable with him.

I am thankful for the gift of Christian community and for the witness of scripture to correct me when I am wrong.

veXXXing situation 10:22 PM

Dana and I live in a duplex. This basically means someone built a big house and split it down the middle. The address is somewhat confusing - both our neighbors and us are 1605 but we are the "B" side while our neighbors are "A". So if you wanted to send me something, (like a high quality fake mustache - thanks Martins!!) you would need to make sure you put "B" on the address.

Someone attempted to send something to our neighbors who have very recently moved in. This something is small, the size of a magazine, and is covered in an opaque, black plastic.

Unfortunately, our new neighbors neglected to tell his correct new address to whichever adult magazine he prefers.

So here's the dilemma, what do I do now? Do I walk over there and say "hey, I'm Jason, I live next door - here is your pornography. (by the way, I am a minister)" Or do I do the old "doorbell-porndrop-run"?

When Dragons Roamed the Earth 12:06 AM

The past few Sunday nights, I have been walking my youth through the biblical narrative and hitting all of the high points - the goal being that when kids hear a scripture or a story they will be able to not only appreciate it but place it in its proper context within God's redemptive activity throughout history. Tonight was "Redemption Initiated through Israel" - dealing specifically with the Old Testament. Here's an actual quote (from a kid who is a great kid who has grown up in church all his life) from our small group discussion.

Me: "If a person came up to you and asked you to summarize the Old Testament, what would you say to them?"
Youth: "I would say that the Old Testament was when dragons roamed the earth and wizards were slain."

He said he was joking, but I am not so sure... :)

Accio Finale! 10:58 PM

This is (at least) my 16th attempt to digest Harry Potter. When Dana and I closed the tome after the (super lame!) last line, my first response was this:

"Yeah. I liked it. It was Harry Potter...of course I liked it!!! I think..."

Early in the book, before we spend too much time in the magical tent - I very much shared Ron's frustration about not doing anything but then I wondered if Rowling wasn't giving a sly nod to the reader AND acknowledging her slow pace with Ron's venting - Rowling drops this line while Harry is packing:

''It gave him an odd, empty feeling to remember those times. It was like remembering a younger brother whom he had lost.''

Such a sweet line that sums up the entire seventh book in relation to the rest of the series. While I was never a fan of the extended Quidditch matches or the misadventures of Ron and Fred, the childlike innocence that served as a worthy backdrop in the previous books, has ebbed out completely, leaving something a little darker and (this is so difficult to write) not quite as fun, and not quite as honest. If Voldemort and his Death Eaters were as bad as Rowling would have us believe that they were, then this final go-round was too easy. I kept waiting for the ultimate punch-in-the-gut, re-read-about-fifty-times moment (a la the deaths of Sirius and Dumbledore) and it never came.

Further, there were a few instances in which Hermione had whatever they needed in that big-honkin' bag of hers - like old school Batman (Holy Magical Bag Batman!) Some of the quests were a bit forced.

Finally, Snape deserved better. I wholly expected Snape to die in one way or another, but his death could have been that "punch-in-the-gut-holy-buckets" moment that Deathly Hallows lacked. Beforehand I read the book, I thought Snape would die saving Harry-Ron-Hermione, and I still think that would have served a much more powerful redemption than the Pensieve.

I expected "all was well" but I didn't expect it to be quite so easy. What did you think?

Thoughts on three 11:59 PM

Three years ago yesterday, underneath a painted-pink sky, I held my best friend’s hand, looked her in the eye, and climbed over the lump in my throat to tell her “I do.” It seems like we just got married yesterday…but so much has happened since yesterday. I get more chill bumps looking into those baby blues than I got when I first spotted the brunette-bandit that stole my heart. To celebrate our anniversary, we went through the drive through at Burger King – here’s a brief sampling of some of the more exciting adventures we’ve shared.

- hearing Stockton’s heartbeat / seeing the ultrasound

- road trip to Mississippi

- our first (last) yardsale

- second anniversary splurge at Le Dauville (so good…)

- Salt Lake City trip to see the Jazz (fifth row! Picture with Jerry Sloan! Stood on the court! Three at the buzzer!! Overtime!! Win!)

- The mouse….(“um….there’s a mouse.” “ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshkillitnowkillitnowkillitNOW!”)

- Political / theological / cultural / everything-al debates on road trips

- Wheel of Fortune (“We are NEVER playing this game AGAIN.”)

- Dana’s screaming at my intramural basketball team to “REEEEEEBOUND! BOX OUT!”

I hesitate to call them adventures – because they have been blessings. I cannot wait to see the incredible ways God will continue to bless us – especially as “we” becomes three.

Confessions of a Bibliophile 11:01 PM

There are things that are better than books. These things include, but are not limited to, having an incredible wife, being overwhelmed by the presence of an amazing God, belly laughs with best buds, a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send your team to the NBA Finals, and those heart-to-heart conversations that change everything after them.

Books are still good too.

There are three days that I go bonkers for each year. Christmas - you can't beat Jesus' birthday - my birthday - whatever I say goes! - and the day we get new books for class. I nearly wet my paints when I picked up Lasor, Hubbard, and Bush's Old Testament Survey and tripped over myself getting back to the apartment to read Ben Witherington's New Testament Theology.

All the wetness aside, my first love was literature. I wanted to teach literature to high school students. There is nothing like a book, and the genius of great writing - words that peel away the layers of life and get to what everyone else's brain is trying to get around. My favorites are on the right, here are some more (nonfiction) that I like.

the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (not sure that I'm sold on the 7th one though)
the Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Don't hold out on me now - give me some good ones that you enjoy.

"Our Son" 6:40 PM

While preparing dinner, I did something stupid. I don't remember what it was. But Dana responds, "You're not allowed to do that in front of our son."

I understand that part of my calling is to influence kids. But it takes on a whole new meaning when it's yours...

I don't like wearing alot of clothing when I'm at home - does that mean Stockton will strip when he's at school?