Identity

Christians in Kenya introduce themselves in an inspiring way: "Hello! I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. My name is..."

Is my identity found in myself or in Christ?

let the poem do the talking

at the cemetery, walnut grove plantation, south Carolina, 1989

among the rocks

at walnut grove

your silence drumming

in my bones,

tell me your names.

nobody mentioned slaves

and yet the curious tools

shine with your fingerprints.

nobody mentioned slaves

but somebody did this work

who had no guide, no stone,

who moulders under rock.

tell me your names,

tell me your bashful names

and i will testify.

the inventory lists ten slaves

but only men were recognized.

among the rocks

at walnut grove

some of these honored dead

were dark

some of these dark

were slaves

some of these slaves

were women

some of them did this

honored work.

tell me your names

foremothers, brothers,

tell me your dishonored names.

here lies

here lies

here lies

here lies

hear

- Lucille Clifton

I'm not particularly a fan of the man's ideas, but I do greatly admire his signature. Now, if he'd put it to good use :)

Hungry

How do you know when you’ve been out of school too long? When you go to the library and return with six volumes on World War II. Yes, I’m hungry for learning. But this is the really fun kind of learning. The kind where I get to choose the topic and go as in-depth with it as I please.

So far, my eyes are really opening up to the War. In school, I merely learned the reasons for it and the battles and the tragedies, but now I’m seeing the war through the eyes of the soldiers and the nurses and even the children. Seeing it through the eyes of children is especially powerful (from Through the Eyes of Innocents). They don’t necessarily understand the big picture. They just know that they hide in the shelter until the bombs stop dropping, and then they can run outside and fight for the biggest piece of shrapnel. It became a game, a way of life.

But what I find most interesting is when children in German-occupied countries talk of the German soldiers who are now living with them. After a bombing, a little boy ventured into the streets and saw a church completely destroyed, except for the organ. A German soldier sat at the keys and played a beautiful song that echoed down the war-torn streets. “Surely this man couldn’t be all bad,” the boy reasoned. Another child talked of how a German soldier came to have tea and dinner with her family on a regular basis. He’d joke and talk of his home and show pictures of his wife and family. It’s so strange to be reminded that the Germans were human too, that they loved and laughed, and that they truly believed they were doing the right thing.

I am also a bit humbled by these accounts, because I am so quick to condemn the whole country for what they did to the Jews. How could they not have known? I ask myself. But then, when I learn that their news broadcasts were severely censored and that if they were caught listening to other news sources, like BBC, they would be sent to labor and concentration camps, I feel more compassion for the people. They were ruled by fear, and I shouldn’t judge them for it. And when I learn that 12% of their population was killed during this war, most of them soldiers but many of them civilians, I understand the true meaning of tragedy.

Fantasyland

Today, I read an article about how some people are getting terribly depressed by the fact that they can never get to the planet Pandora (from Avatar). Apparently, there's a website where viewers share their laments and hope for encouragement from fellow lamenters. Here is a sampling of them from the Huffington Post:

"I just watched Avatar a few weeks ago and I'm feeling depressed and sad. It's like I want to reach out and be in Pandora. I'd do anything to be in Pandora. I've tried so hard to dream about me being on Pandora but it hasn't worked."

"Ever since I went to see Avatar I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it. I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in Avatar."

Wow. Suicide to be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora? That's a little extreme. And creepy. I do agree that Pandora looks incredibly beautiful, especially at night when all the plants are illuminated and the small creatures light up, but getting depressed by the fact that Pandora is pure imagination seems a little silly to me.

Granted, there are plenty of places I would love to visit if they existed. Narnia, for example. Have tea with Mr. Tumnus, ride a talking horse, bury my face in a lion's mane and feel no fear. Or Middle Earth where I could plant gardens in The Shire, befriend a talking tree, and write a book with the elves. Sounds pretty lovely to me. But that's what fantasy is. An escape from reality. To give you refreshment, inspiration, and freedom.

But fantasies aren't just about the landscapes; they're about the story. You can't dwell on the fact that you'll never see those lands in person. Learn from the creatures who inhabit those worlds. See what they have to show you about the real world and the real you.

And thank the author for giving you such a beautiful place to visit. :)

Newest desire

So, since everyone seems to be expanding their families, and I don't want to be left behind but don't want a child right now, I've decided that I want a puppy. Maybe a dachshund or cairn terrier. Both fun little dogs that are good with kids (for when we have them) and are super cute. Check 'em out:

Only problem: we can't have dogs at our apartment. Guess we'll just have to get a house! :) Oh, the desires never end! At least I've got my Phoebe.

Surprise in the Mail

Josh and I received letters we'd written to each other - last year. During our pre-marriage counseling, we wrote our hopes, dreams, concerns, and encouragements for our first year of marriage, and then promptly forgot all about them (what with last minute wedding plans and honeymoon and getting used to life and all). So, what a pleasant surprise when we found them in the mailbox! I think I'd like to make that a tradition. Kinda like short-term time capsules :)

Two days ago, I found out that another one of my friends is expecting a baby. She's younger than me, which makes it extra strange to me. But yay! Now I have an excuse to buy baby things! But seriously, people, stop it. Or I'm gonna want one too!