Postmoderism and "The Da Vinci Code"

I didn’t think The Da Vinci Code was a good novel. There are some things that Dan Brown did very well but he did just as many things very poorly. He just happened to hit on the right combination of good and bad writing to make it a page-turner. I loved Mary DeMuth's post on authorial convenience. It's the same issue I have with the Left Behind series, The Lost World by Crichton (sequel to Jurassic Park) and Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card (sequel to Ender's Game) – the authors are preaching at me about one thing or another. If I want a sermon, I’ll go to church or listen to talk radio. When I pick up a novel, I want good characters and a story.

So why has The Da Vinci Code sold 40 million copies? There are a lot of reasons but I think what Brown did right was capitalize on the postmodern culture.

Ladies, don’t be fooled by this novel. Brown is no friend to women. In the beginning, he really plays up Sophie's independence and intelligence - until they get to Teabing's estate. Then she seems to lose all ability to reason and act on her own, buying anything the two men say and doing whatever they ask. I don't think Brown is an advocate for women. He basically condones sexual exploitation of women akin to temple prostitution! Ladies, it sounds noble but this is an old scheme used in the name of spirituality. I think Brown is a wolf in sheep's clothing where women’s issues are concerned.

In the story, I think it's fascinating that Teabing yanks out all these books to prove his point. Where do these come from? What's their validity? It's very pomo and very cunning by Brown. If it's written down, it must be true. I don't know how many times I've heard, "If it's on the internet, it must be true."

I've also wondered why homosexuals haven't come out against Brown. Basically, he says homosexuals cannot achieve spiritual enlightenment because they don't have sex with women. He never addresses gay sex but he makes it very clear that woman is key to spiritual fulfillment.

My friend, Erin, sent me a great article on the 10 mistakes Christians Make in the Arts. I saw a headline on The Drudge Report before the movie opened that Christians were boycotting the movie, which this article addresses. I'm torn. People think it's so noble that Islamists turn violent at any mockery of their god or physical scriptures. I think we should be offended at mockery and lies about our God but they are non-believers. And isn't our God and conduct more relational than the Islmist's are? Their god is not personal. God is in my heart not in print.

Last year my small group decided to discuss the historical and scriptural references made in The Da Vinci Code. The novel was having impact on the culture and we wanted to be able to discuss it. As a result, we were asked to present our material to the entire church. My topic was the reliability of scripture. But I find it much more important to get believers to understand how to communicate with their culture than in providing them with facts about their own gospel.

Christians see the opening of the movie as a great opportunity to discuss Jesus. It is but I urge you that the audience for this discussion is very small. The people open for this discussion are (1) Christians or believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who's faith is shaken by this or (2) non-believers who accept this as their next spiritual guide.

The audience for this discussion is not simply everybody who goes to see the movie or reads the book! When my unchurched, postmodern friend heard we were doing a study at church about the novel she said, "You guys are taking this way too seriously. It's just a novel." She's not your audience.

Not only is the audience limited, the Christians who are called to discuss this are limited. Only certain people are called to go to Papua New Guinea. I believe that My Geek and I are uniquely gifted for the multi-media/art based mission field. In one church group discussion about the novel, a guy spoke up and said we were wrong for purchasing Dan Brown’s book. I don't think this person is called to this mission field.

Here’s a question.

My lost friend asks me to go see the movie with him. I see it as an opportunity to have a spiritual discussion. Is it o.k. for me to see the movie?

My lost friend asks me to go to a strip club. I see this as an opportunity to talk about marriage, monogamy and sexual purity. Is it o.k. to go to the strip club?

What’s the difference, if any?

Rock On

I have no musical talent. I can't read music or play an instrument. It is a real stretch to say that I make "a joyful noise unto the Lord" when I sing. I have a great deal of trouble sorting out sounds. I am almost purely a visual learner. Don't tell me to remember something. If one of us doesn't write it down, I'll forget it before you can finish the sentence.

But I love music. It comforts me, it makes me happy and it helps me get through my work day. It's an art form that I couldn't live without. When I hear music, I hear evidence of the Creator. I can appreciate it but I'll never make it on my own. That's why I was fascinated by a recent article in WIRED magazine.

In the March issue Rachel Metz writes about some Princeton students who formed the Princeton Laptop Orchestra last fall. They connect their Macs to custom omnidirectional speakers to emulate a full-fledged philharmonic, electronica band, or jazz combo! Is it real art? Is it real music? I say, "Rock on geeks!"

Star Wars Meets Veggie Tales

If the Star Wars philosophy has always bothered you a bit, be bothered no more. Now Luke and Co. have morphed into Cuke; his sidekick, Chew-Broccoli; and master mentor, Yogurt. Yes, in true Veggie Tales fashion Luke and the gang have exchanged their talk of the force to talk of the farm. Check it out.

Once you have seen it, put your creativity to work and ask yourself this: What story that I've heard over and over can I re-tell in veggie or fruit form? Just keep in mind there's a reason Veggie Tales never had Jesus represented as a veggie. They reportedy had creative difficulties figuring out which one was worthy. (By the way, somebody should tell Larry that tomatoes are fruits.) Good call. Always good to show a little respect.

10,000 Hours

In a WIRED article entitled "Buddha on the Brain":

The Dalai Lama is here to give a speech titled "The Neuroscience of Meditation." Over the past few years, he has supplied about a dozen Tibetan Buddhist monks to Richard Davidson, a prominent neuroscience professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Davidson's research created a stir among brain scientists when his results suggested that, in the course of meditating for tens of thousands of hours, the monks had actually altered the structure and function of their brains.

This reminded me of Romans 12:2 that says:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I wonder if we, as Christians, were to spend thousands of hours meditating, what might happen?

Bezalel's Guild

Recently as I read Exodus, I was reminded of something in chapter 31 that every Christ-following artist can appreciate:

God had just given instructions for the tabernacle, and then he said this: "See, I have chosen Bezalel ... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab ... to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent--the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand--and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you."

Here's what I love about this: Moses and his siblings weren't the only ones filled with the Spirit; it wasn't just the leaders or the speakers whom God used. He also filled the artists so they could practice their crafts to His glory. Tentmakers. Stonemakers. Weavers. Incense workers. To all of these God gave skill.

God seems to have done something similar in you who have sent files for the art gallery. We can see how you've interacted artistically with the truth in God's Word and through your craftsmanship we get a glimpse of His glory. Surely the Spirit of the Lord is in this place.

Great Resource for artists

One evening when my Oregonian mother was visiting me in Dallas, we stopped channel surfing when we saw a guy playing "the aquarium section" at a symphony performance. If you've seen Sandra Bullock's character in Miss Congeniality play the musical water glasses, you know the sort of "instrument" I'm talking about. (I have since learned that the musician, Jamey Turner, is called a "glass harpist.") Mom and I stopped and watched what turned out to be a great television program. It was the broadcast of a Catholic Communications production titled, "Creativity: Touching the Divine." We later tracked it down for purchase. Since then I have shown it every time I've taught Christian Journalism at Dallas Seminary (four or five years).

The fim explores "the universal virtue of creativity ranging from the fine arts to daily living." It was my first introduction to Frederick Hart, the sculptor responsible for the creation scene over the doors of the Washington National Cathedral, where I try to go once every holiday seaon. It also includes Madeleine L'Engle, whose book A Wrinkle in Time had a profound impact on my imagation in the sixth grade.

Have a look. If you love the marriage of faith and art, you'll find yourself savoring a feast.

Science is Art II

"Microchip engineers may not seem like creative types, but they've been quietly using silicon as a canvas for decades. When magnified 1,000 to 5,000 times, some semiconductors reveal tiny works of art etched there by their makers." - START, etchings, Todd Jatras, December 2005.

Chipworks is an engineering firm that has collected these disappearing little art forms and put them in a gallery on their web site. There's everything from animals to fictional characters to messages. Ghost in the machine?

I remember back in the 80's typing out an image of the robot from "LOST IN SPACE" in the comment lines of my code (pre emoticon days).

People just can't help but be creative.

Science is Art

I will never be able to get away from being a geek. And I love seeing how my scientific and mathematical background influences and enhances my art.

I'm a huge fan of Project Runway, a reality show on Bravo. It's somewhat like American Idol. They find 16 aspiring fashion designers to compete for a big break in the design world. This season there is a geek, Diana, competing and I love it! She has a beautiful, unique artistic style and frequently incoroporates technology. I don't think she'll win but she is gathering a fan base through the message boards.

In the October issue of WIRED magazine, you'll find an article on the first Art of Science Competition at Princeton University. The challenge was bold: "Science Is Boring. Art Is Stupid. Prove Us Wrong." The results are fabulous. Check it out.

Food is Art

Look at this little slide show of new, unique food presetation techniques. Beautiful, creative, yummy.

What's better than art and coffee! Check out the fabulous art on The Newtown Coffee Company packaging. The names of these coffees remind me of the new Coffee Cup Bible Study Series coming out by Sandra Glahn (AMG Publishers). Pass a biscotto.

Creativity Makes Us Human

Recently I've seen three very different movies whose underlying message is "creativity makes us human": Unleashed, Equilibrium, and The Shawshank Redemption.

Equilibrium is set in a future society run by a fascist government that has made all emotion illegal. In order to uphold this law, anything that evokes emotion is considered contraband. This includes all forms of individual expression such as music, art and literature. The greatest enforcer of the law becomes the savior of the resistance after encountering Mary. She questions the purpose of his existence and declares life without emotion "is just a clock... ticking".

In Unleashed a boy is raised as a dog. And not just any dog but a dog specifically trained to fight and kill. Like a dog, he does not question his owner or his purpose. He is obedient and appears to be without conscience - until he hears music. This, as well as the kindness of a stranger, awakens something in him. Suddenly he encounters his humanity and begins to desire it, especially through music and love.

My favorite example of the connection between humanity and creation is The Shawshank Redemption. The majority of this movie is set in Shawshank Prison in the 1940s. The existence of these men is brutal and base. This is sharply contrasted in several key scenes with some form of beauty: literature, opera, sculptures, financial savvy and Rita Hayworth! The narrator, Red, describes these moments as hope, being like free men, and "being the lords of all creation".

Creativity is a part of what every human is. It is a part of our nature. We are naturally creative! In these movies, it took an entire prison system and a dictator govenment. In the real world the prince of lies is our oppressor. He hates creativity above all things and seeks to destory it. One of his lies to us is that we are not creative. What a thief he is, stealing what is righfully ours.

Do you know of any other movies that express this same theme? Maybe even a novel? Let me know.

"The Sovereign God Controls Even the Pur"

This is one of the "Play Your Hand" questions for Esther Lesson #3.

Haman tossed the purim to determine the best time to slaughter the Jews in Persia. Perhaps he thought the timing was best left to chance. He played the odds. Or maybe he believed that his pagan gods would direct the pur to land on the most auspicious date for a mass murder.

Have you ever made a decision by "tossing the pur?" When I was a kid, I used to pitch wads of paper at the trash can in my room to determine if I ought to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a burrito for lunch. (As though the mighty God of the Paper Wad had a message for me regarding my destiny at the lunch table.) My brothers and I spent huge amounts of time calling "heads" or "tails" as we flipped nickels into the air. I played "Engine Engine Number 9" and "Eeny Meeny Miney Moe" on the playground to figure out which square I got in the four square game. M.A.S.H. games on the classroom chalkboard would tell who I was going to marry and how many kids I'd have. Cootie catchers and jump rope songs. If you think back over your own life, I'm sure you'll come up with a surprising number of ways in which you innocently played the odds regarding the small matters of life.

As I've gotten older and grown in my Christian walk, I hope I can say that I no longer rely on luck and chance to determine my direction in life. My faith has become, well, faith. I trust in more than a flipped nickel or a rhyming playground song. Or a ballot with a dangling chad. Or a medical test with a small margin of error. Or an insurance policy. Or the new study that says eggs are bad for me. Or the other one that says an egg is the healthiest thing I could ever hope to eat. (So which is it, guys?!)

"Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And we were saved in this hope, for hope that is seen is not hope, for why does one still hope for what he sees? For if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance." Rom. 5:5 and 8:24-25
This is Paul's winding and wordy way of saying that we live our lives by faith in Christ rather than by faith in the "pur". As Christians, we ought to place no stock in what is seen in this world. Our circumstances, the "proofs", the wisdom of men, the lab's test results, the tally at the end of election day... it is all destined to lead us astray and to disappoint. But if we put our hope in the things we will not see until the great hereafter, we are guaranteed not to be disappointed. There are so many things in this life that clamor for our trust and hope. So many things that look trustworthy. Worthy of the investment of our heart and soul.

Haman trusted in the purim he tossed that day. We are trusting in the sovereign God who's hand controls even Haman's purim.

Clay Pots

I was admiring the new paint job in my niece's room when my eye caught on what looked like a newspaper clipping. Something about it looked familiar, so I moved closer to see it. Suddenly, I realized it was a short piece I had written for the magazine I edit. I didn't even know my niece read that magazine!

As I scanned the clipping, I realized why it was meaningful to her--probably for the same reason its truth had been meaningful to me. During a time in my life when I really wondered why God should use me despite my failures, I compiled a list of imperfect people God used greatly. Esther wasn't on that list, but she could have been.

If, like me, your prayer life isn't what it should be, you can't seem to stay away from chips, and you wish you were more patient with the people you love, know you're far from being beyond "usability." Here's my list:

Noah got drunk.
Abraham lied about his wife.
Jacob was a swindler.
Moses stuttered.
He also had a short fuse.
Hosea’s wife was a prostitute.
David committed adultery.
Solomon had a bunch of wives.
The woman at the well had a bunch of husbands.
Naomi was a widow.
Sarah was too old.
David was too young.
Peter was afraid of death.
Lazarus was dead.
Miriam was a gossip.
John the Baptist was a loudmouth.
Jonah ran away from God.
Thomas doubted.
Jeremiah got depressed.
Elijah got burnt out.
Martha was too busy.
Timothy had stomach problems.
John Mark was rejected by the apostle Paul.
Moses was a murderer.
So was David.
So was Paul.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

Can you think of others? If so, add them!

For further study: Dr. Tom Constable, a professor at Dallas Seminary, has compiled extensive notes on the Book of Esther. He makes his notes available online for free. You can access the .pdf file by following this link: Constable notes

Dirty Little Secret

Check out the music video by The All American Rejects called "Dirty Little Secret". Throughout the video people hold up SPS-like cards with their dirty little secrets written on them. It's really wonderful.

If you have a Yahoo! account, you can also see it here.

If you have an AOL account, you can also see it here.

What kind of man was he?

With the recent kickoff of our new SoulPerSuit study on the book of Esther, I've been interested in the character of King Xerxes.

I don't know about you, but personally, I am pretty intimidated by the image that comes to mind when I read, "... Xerxes ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. At that time, Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa... He gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present. For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty..." "When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king's palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa."

I think Xerxes' little "fete" had its desired effect- if I am awed and intimidated 2,500 years later, imagine what his invited guests were thinking! I'd venture to say they got his message loud and clear... To the outposts and foreigners: "Mess with Xerxes and you'll get this entire arsenal knocking on your city gates!" To the people in his own backyard: "He's so kind and generous for rolling out the red carpet to little 'ol us, why would we ever want to disobey his commands?" The guy could really work the political spin.

Xerxes appears to be a generous soul who doesn't mind dipping into the treasury here and there to make sure his name is promoted and the underlings know their proper places. He hands his good buddy, Haman, the royal line of credit to do whatever Haman wants. It's only money. No questions asked. Not even ONE. (Shoulda asked at least ONE question, Xerxes!) He seems to appreciate the finer things of life- throwing sumptuous parties, accumulating a harem of women that spend an entire year making themselves beautiful before they can even enter his presence... And he likes to show off all that wealth and finery as well- just ask his party guests and Vashti about that.

But here's what gets me about Xerxes. For all of his generosity, for all of his appreciation of beauty and wealth, for all the might and power of his kingdom, for all the qualities he displays that make him the KING he is, the guy can't seem to make a decision on his own.
Now, I know it's common practice for leaders to surround themselves with a cabinet of experts or a group of advisors, but King Xerxes takes it to a new level.

The water begins to boil when Xerxes gets into a tiff with his Queen. "What should I do about it boys?" (Well, um, she's YOUR wife. And you DID ask her to leave her own party and her own guests (very bad form) so she could come to your party and parade around for your guests (even worse form). His "boys" easily convince him to send her away- a decision Xerxes later regrets.
Next, as he begins to re-think things, ("I'm lonely. I miss Vashti. What should I do?") he listens to some more advice from his "boys" to find a bunch of beautiful young virgins. Gosh, they're really looking out for their king, aren't they?


Then Haman decides he has a bone to pick with a guy named Mordecai, who is "of a certain race."

Haman: By the way, King, there are these people living amongst us who are really weird. They're not normal. Oh, and they don't obey Your Regalness' commands either. We're really better off without this certain race, so if you'll just give me the royal credit card, I'll see to it that they're wiped out. You won't have to worry about a thing.

Xerxes: Hmm? Yeah, ok. If that's what you think we ought to do. My wallet's on the nightstand.


Next, Xerxes wants to honor Mordecai for an old favor. So to Haman, he asks, "What should be done for someone who has found favor with the king?" Xerxes can't decide how to say "Thanks buddy, I owe ya one."


* Finally, we have the ONE decision credited to Xerxes, and it's one we have to applaud him for. * When Xerxes discovers that "the certain race" Haman has plotted to kill is the Jews and then connects the dots to discover that his lovely Esther is a Jew, Xerxes shows his kingly quality, immediately seeing his "friend" for what he is, and decides Haman's fate- death. (Although the poetic justice of hanging Haman on his own gallows must be credited to a palace servant.)

The story wraps up with Xerxes telling Esther and Mordecai to "write another decree in the king's name on behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king's signet ring." Another example of Xerxes' decision making. Or lack thereof.


Taking this cross-section of Xerxes' life brings up many questions for me. It's easy to fault him for being a spineless leader, a doormat or an extreme phlegmatic, but I think it'd be better to take a lesson from him and examine my own life.

- Do I go through life with decisiveness and direction?
- Do I know the laws by which I am supposed to govern "my kingdom"? And the laws I am subject to? (King Xerxes should have known the laws of his land. In fact, a major requirement for Jewish kings-in-training was to sit and copy the Law over and over again so they knew it inside and out.)
- Can I deal with marital conflict (my "king") without running to Oprah or Hollywood to tell me how to handle it?
- How attentive am I to my children (my "subjects") and the direction of their hearts?
- Is my "advisory cabinet" composed of people, books, movies, websites and music that spur me on to love and good deeds?
- Can I manage my household (my "riches") in a way that honors God through what He has provided? Do I flaunt my "riches"?
- Am I equipping myself to make righteous decisions?

In the end, I hope my reputation won't be one like Xerxes'. "Yeah, Erin, she was a great gal. But she couldn't direct her life out of a paper bag."

The Beauty and the Knight

I just started reading "Captivating" by John & Stasi Eldredge. It is the feminine companion to "Wild at Heart" which is about the true nature of men. I read "Wild at Heart" and knew that I would buy "Captivating" without skipping a beat. One benefit I have gained from the books is a better understanding of my husband.

I am an "A" type personality. I make lists and think it is a good day when I get things done. One of the "tasks" my husband often asks me to do is to "just be there". This has never made any sense to me. When he took over doing the bills, I asked how I could help out.

"Just sit here with me."

"What do you want me to do?", I'd ask.

"Nothing. Just be there.", a response that did not compute.

One of the things I learned from Eldredge is that men need a beauty to rescue. I am My Geeks beauty. (Everyday that we've been married, he has told me he loves me and that I'm beautiful. Everyday. (You have my persmission to swoon. Guys, you have no idea what this does for a woman.) Men also need a battle to fight. Unfortunately for my husband, there's no chance that he'll get to liberate Scotland or rescue me from a foreign governement so his battles are bills or unclogging dranes.

So I'm learning to be the beauty. The other day our bicycles needed a tune up. He pulled the bikes into the yard, uncoiled the hose and pulled out as many tools and chemicals as he hoped were necessary. I felt guilty that he would be doing this by himself.

I should contribute, "Do you want some help?", my toned down version of "give me something to do".

"No. But you could come sit outside so I can look at you." Swoon.

So as he enjoyed flexing his masculine muscles for the beauty, I enjoyed watching his battle with grease and gears. I was quite sad when he had finished.

Spiritual Content

Have you noticed the increase in the number of supernatural television shows? Premiering just this season are:

• Invasion - After a devastating storm, a small Florida town faces alien mysteries in its midst. (ABC)


• Threshold - After an alien craft lands on Earth, a team of specialists is recruited to respond. (CBS)


• Surface - Humans freak out as a new form of sea life appears in locales all over the Earth. (NBC)


• Supernatural - The Winchester brothers battle evil forces on America's back roads in their '67 Chevy Impala.


• Night Stalker - Reporter Carl Kolchak travels the country solving unexplained phenomena and deaths. (ABC)


• Ghost Whisperer - Newlywed Melinda Gordon communicates with the spirits of the dead to help them cross over. (CBS)

Returning from last season are:

• Medium - Allison Dubois uses her psychic abilities to help the D.A. solve crimes. (NBC)


• Lost - Several castaways are stranded on a mysterious island after a violent plane crash – but they are not alone. (ABC)


• Charmed - Three witch sisters continually save the world and each other from evil. (WB)


• Smallville - The beginnings of Superman when he was just trying to live as Clark Kent. (WB)

And this is just on network television.

We’re steeped deeply in a postmodern culture that considers itself very spiritual. Take a look at these and see what the world considers spiritual. What’s your answer to each?

What I Seek First

The key verse for my study this week in "Frazzeled Female" is Matthew 6:33:

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

The author is using each lesson to reveal what I'm preoccupied with instead of the Kingdom of God. My unhappiness at work and bad attitude are leading to sin (short temper, foul language, gossip) because I let it take priority. Recently I got a real clear example of where the Kingdom ranks in my life.

I ran to the gas station at lunch to buy me some potato chips (I love potato chips). On my way to the car, a guy got my attention. He was rough looking and I knew he was begging for money. He was very creative - he carried a bible as a prop.

"Ma'am. Ma'am. I'm here from Myrtle Beech and I'm waiting for my aunt to pick me up. I know I'm in a bad part of town but I'm just hungry. If you could help. I was down at the church..." blah, blah, blah.

I know my husband would not be happy that I even stopped to give this guy the time of day. But I immediatly opened my wallet. Besides my valuable debit card, I had very little cash. I gave him everything I had and told him "none of that matters, here."

While quickly moving to get into my car, without halting a step, I asked him if he read that book he was holding and he said, "Oh, yes ma'am. I ... " the traffic hopelessly drowned us out. I had barely bounced into my seat, even before I closed my door, I thought, "You know I should have opened that bible up and read him John." It wasn't 3 seconds after turning my back on him that I thought of this but he was long gone.

After.

I thought of it after.

I thought of the Kingdom after, "I've got to get into the car", after "I've got to get back to work", after "This will be too messy."

The opportunity for that guy is lost forever to me. I hope that the lesson is not.

Are you just a mother? Then what am I?

I started a new bible study Sunday night. It has an amazing turn out - over 30 women! I'm not really surprised. The topic is "Frazzled Female". To start our first meeting, we went around the circle and introduced ourselves.

"Hi. I'm Anna Bell and I have 2 children and 8 grandchildren." <warm applause and reverance>
"Well, I'm Marie and I have teenagers!" <laughter and smiling groans>
"I have a son and a husband. That's it. That's my life." <giggles and nodding heads>
"I'm Martha and I'm the mother of a newborn." <cheers and welcome to the club>

On and on it went. 30 women. And they all said the same thing. I'm a mother. At each introduction, the group would laugh, encourage, moan, reminisce. There were even two women selected to team teach because they represented different stages of experience in mothering.

I started to cry. I didn't want to introduce myself. I can't stand the blank stares. It's like I'm some unknown beast they aren't sure is safe.

<trying to be funny>"Hi. I'm Rhonda and I'm a geek and a sugar momma." <awkward silence>"I'm putting my husband through school." <acknowledged laughter>

Why was I so sad? It is not because I wish I were a mother. I am not a mother by choice. But it was because I was an outsider. They were all mothers and nothing else. I felt utterly alone.

I go to women's functions in hopes of meeting new people and maybe finding a new friend. But it's a real struggle because there are very few women who maintain any sort of adult identity outside of being a mother. And if "that's it", if that's their life, they don't have a need for a relationship with someone like me.

I think it's completely natural for people to group themselves according to interests or commonalities. Motherhood is a major grouping and it is vitally important that mothers have a support system. But I know these women have interests of their own that they seem to be denying. They are interested in art or books or movies or politics or writing or bicycling or some other adult thing.

I know a couple of mothers who have worked hard at keeping an adult identity. And they are better mothers, wives and friends for it. They are multifaceted - in full bloom. But they are RARE! It's hard to find women who have read something besides "Goodnight Moon" or seen something besides "Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed" or get their current events from someone besides Oprah.

I will never understand what it is like to be a mother. I admit that. But I also know that motherhood is not the definition of "woman".

Is there such a thing as a secular heart?

A reader's editorial in the New York Times, August 17, titled "Touch of Grace", praised the "startling and luminous" underserved gift of Ms. Victoria Ruvolo.

"It happened when Ryan Cushing, a 19-year-old charged with assault for tossing a turkey through a car windshield last fall, approached the driver he nearly killed, Victoria Ruvolo. Ms. Ruvolo, 44, suffered severe injuries and needed many hours of surgery to rebuild her shattered facial bones."

Remember this one? To my knowledge, the trial didn't make near as much news as the accident did. However, it made an impact on the writer of the editorial. But I wonder if he/she is denying the true impact it had.

"Mr. Cushing was one of six teenagers out for a night of joy riding and crime, which often happens when childish aggression and stupidity merge with the ability to drive and steal credit cards. The five others have pleaded guilty to various acts like forgery and larceny, but Mr. Cushing, who threw the turkey, could have faced 25 years in prison. At Ms. Ruvolo's insistence, prosecutors granted him a plea bargain instead: six months in jail and five years' probation."

"That is true. But Ms. Ruvolo's resolute compassion, coming seemingly out of nowhere, disarmed Mr. Spota and led to a far more satisfying result."

"Many have assumed that Ms. Ruvolo's motivation is religious. But while we can estimate the size of her heart, we can't peer into it. Her impulse may have been entirely secular."

Is it possible for this type of impulse to be "secular"? If you believe we are spiritual beings as well as physical, wouldn't this impulse come from the spirit part of us? I believe that the world is constantly confusing the physical and spiritual. If, in the operating room, you were to hold a human heart in your hand, there is no part that you can physically point at and say, "There is compassion."

And why deny the spirit? I think the use of the word "religious" in the editorial is revealing. It's a negative word in our postmodern culture. But look at all the spiritual words the editorialist uses. If the he/she is not "religious" and Ms. Ruvolo is not "religious", their actions and words show evidence, at least, that they are spiritual beings.

"Given the opportunity for retribution, Ms. Ruvolo gave and got something better: the dissipation of anger and the restoration of hope, in a gesture as cleansing as the tears washing down her damaged face, and the face of the foolish, miserable boy whose life she single-handedly restored."

Introducing Queen Esther

One of the comments we received as part of the lament study was that after so much lamenting, one also feels the need to praise--to notice the divine, the glorious, and celebrate it. Weeping and rejoicing need each other.

For this reason we plan to launch a new study soon that focuses on the Book of Esther. Her story helps us look for God's invisible hand which, we discover with a little bit of black dusting powder, leaves lots of fingerprints.

Frankly, Esther has a few things in common with "Miss Congeniality." (Go with me on this.) I admit to loving that movie--as do most of the girls in my extended family. Call us shallow, but we love to get together to watch Sandra Bullock morph from a clumsy FBI agent with scary eyebrows and nasty hair into an undercover (and believable!) beauty pageant contestant. Subplot: Bullock's character starts out thinking pageants reduce females to their various parts (bad) but ends up believing pageants are positive exercises that emphasize the whole woman—including brains and talent (good).

What do you think of beauty pageants? Do you lean toward the agent’s “before” or the “after” assessment? What you think of beauty pageants might have some bearing on how you interpret Esther chapter one. Esther is the heroine of the pro-pageant group; Vashti is the heroine of the anti-pageant group.

The “Esther group” tends to see in the text of Esther 1 a great example of the need for wifely submission. The “Vashti group” tends to champion women’s rights. They see Vashti’s actions as good in refusing to allow her husband to degrade her.

Frankly, both approaches miss the mark. Esther 1 about marriage? Come on! Making a case for feminism? Naw. The story isn't even about beauty pageants. Such topics are bunny trails. The text doesn’t focus there, nor should we. If we take such approaches to “applying” Esther, we miss the point.

Here’s why I think it happens. The inductive Bible Study method (observe, interpret, apply) is quite good and a popular approach to studying God’s word. It's a particularly fine approach to studying New Testament epistles. Our method must change a bit, however, when we approach Esther and other narratives (stories): we must consider larger blocks of text at one time to find the application the author intended.

Think about what would happen if we drew conclusions about Goldilocks before we knew that the family came home. Drawing application after reading that she fell asleep might leave us with strange principles drawn from the story (e.g., Eating something hot, cold, and just right can make you drowsy). Hmmm. Chances are slim that the application we’d take away would be the one actually intended by the author.

The danger with Esther, then, is to look at a king giving orders to his wife and at her refusal to comply, and then to make any sort of application from that information. The author doesn’t tell us whether the king was wrong or whether his wife was wrong. And it’s probably for good reason: that’s not the point. Such information is merely background info that lays the groundwork for telling us how Esther got where she did.

And therein lies the comparison with "Miss Congeniality." Bushy-browed undercover agent becomes believable pageant contestant; little no-name orphan girl becomes the Queen of Persia. It's all about the big reversal of events. And in the case of Esther, you-know-Who was the one working undercover.

After we read the entire biblical story, we get the point the author is making: The God of Israel shows loyal love time and again to His covenant people; the Almighty Lord is sovereign in all His dealings; and the Lord of providence kindly cares for His people despite their disobedience.

All of this is still true of Him today.

He loves us.
He is in control.
He cares about us, no matter what we've done.

If it's been a while since you created anything artistic in response to Truth, consider making a card that focuses on the unseen hand at work, on providence, on God's protection despite how things appear. Maybe you are the star of a pageant that focuses on spiritual beauty--not because of your own merit, but because of a transformation that has happened to you on the INSIDE.

Why rejoice when life is so hard? We were once lost, but now we are are found! Our names are written in the Book of Life. We were once lonely orphans, but we have been adopted by the King!