Lowry's Giver and Orwell's 1984: Significant Parallels

A great deal of controversy surrounds Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver. The controversy varies depending on the topic. Ironically many people believe the novel should be censored. “The irony of censorship attacks on the novel is that The Giver dramatizes the plight of an individual living in a society that censors its peoples’ language, emotions, and behaviors” (Lord). First, parents throughout the country believe the book should be banned from schools due to adult themes. Next, many feel the book has too many similarities to other books about dystopian societies. Finally, because Lowry chose to leave the ending up to the reader, people tend to overlook the positive message that can be taken from such a book. Whether it be due adult themes, similarities to dystopian societies, and the ambiguous ending, we must decide for ourselves whether The Giver should be removed from school shelves.

Though it is true there are adult themes throughout the book such as infanticide, euthanasia, the broken down family unit, and censorship; the book can be used as a tool to teach young adults about the world around them. Lowry wrote the novel specifically for young adults. However, it is argued the language and visualizations Lowry chose to use is horrifying and disturbing to young adults. However, as a society, we must not forget that many of our fairy tales were originally just as horrifying and disturbing in order to teach valuable lessons to young adults. For instance in Hansel and Gretel, the youngsters did not conquer the witch and return to their grief stricken father. In fact the story was written to warn children not to wander off in the woods, for they did not know what could be awaiting them. It could have been a hungry witch as in Hansel and Gretel, a starving wolf dressed up as your grandmother as in Little Red Riding Hood, or even a rapist waiting for a fair maiden to fall asleep for him to ravish as in Sleeping Beauty. Just as these stories provided valuable lessons to the youth of centuries past, The Giver provides a valuable lesson to the young adults of today.

In today’s society people scream for more and more governmental control of what our young adults are exposed to. Lowry’s novel has gone under much scrutiny because parents are afraid of the adult themes. Depending on a person’s viewpoint, infanticide is not present in the United States (some may argue abortion is infanticide); neither is euthanasia. However, because infanticide and euthanasia is still practiced in other cultures throughout the world, it is important that young adults construct their own viewpoints of the brutal practice. To Jonas and the others in his community, infants were released into “Elsewhere.” Unless the person’s job was to release an individual, they were left oblivious to the true meaning of “release.” When Jonas’ father releases the smaller twin, he lacks the apprehension most readers would expect if told to kill a newborn child. This scene is one of the most scrutinized scenes in the novel. “Would-be censors object to the scene because it is so graphic, and because it transforms Jonas’s once beloved father into a cold-blooded murderer” (Lord). However, without scenes like these, young adults would be left to wonder why emotions are so important to an individual. If the emotions are stripped away from society in such a manner, there could be another excepted massive holocaust as seen in Nazi Germany.

Furthermore, the breakdown of the family unit is one other criticized theme in the novel. The government chooses the family units, relationships are never consummated, and the children are assigned to certain parents. Jonas’ world is void of grandparents as well. Because the parents are removed from their children, as they become adults, they are not allowed contact with their grandchildren. Family values and memories are not passed down through the generations as they are done today. This leads to the lack of individuality that Jonas’ society is all about, or as they call it “sameness.” Jonas the Receiver and the Giver are the only people in the community that hold on to the memories that give wisdom. Because everything is nearly perfected in organization, people are left with no control of their own destinies. They have no choices to make because committees have made all of those choices for them. Too much governmental power is what the constitution has been written to prevent. People must learn at a young age they have choices to make throughout their own lives. Every choice that the child makes affects his or her future. The best way to teach a child how important it is to have the right to make choices on their own is to give them examples of societies where one’s destiny is not in their own hands. A society where individuals have lost control, which may be painted as utopian societies; however, they are, in fact, dystopian societies in which control is left to a Totalitarian regime.

The similarities between Jonas’ community and the dystopian communities in other novels is also reason for controversy surrounding The Giver. Lowry’s novel can be viewed as George Orwell’s 1984 for young adults, because of the many similarities between the two books. Patty Campbell states, “At first it seems to be an autocratic state – an impression that is given credence by Orwellian images such as the rasping voices that chastise from ubiquitous speakers.” This is very similar to the chastisement Winston Smith receives during the lack of his full attention to his physical jerks. However, the main differences between the two societies is the loudspeakers in The Giver do not single individuals out; whereas the voice from the telescreen screamed, “Smith!...6079 Smith W! Yes, you! Bend lower, please! You can do better than that. You’re not trying. Lower, please!” (36). Another similarity is the Receiver possesses memories that society wanted to forget, and Winston possesses memories the Party wants rewritten and forgotten. Furthermore, rule breakers are released in The Giver. However, rule breakers in 1984 are not allowed death, but they are forced to release their identities, thoughts, and ideas. Then they are forced into conformity or “sameness.”

Additionally, the two novels have the biblical allusion of life, death, and resurrection. Jonas is the different from everyone else during his life, but does not call attention to his gift to see beyond. Like everyone else, he takes a pill to suppress his stirrings; Jonas lives in his community of people just as everyone else does. When Jonas first becomes the receiver, he looses the identity, which was forced upon him. Jonas loses his innocence and becomes aware of the society around him. This is the death of his sameness; and Jonas is resurrected as an individual who makes his own memories, and is the salvation of his community. Likewise, Winston’s life death and resurrection story is similar as Jonas’s, but at the same time, it is completely opposite. Winston begins as a freethinker with ideas that could save his community. Like Jesus, his ideas and lifestyle is dangerous to the totalitarian regime that controls the populous. Therefore, he is spiritually executed and forced to conform to the masses. In the end Winston is resurrected as the shell of the man he once was. He is left with no emotion and a sense of helplessness. The reader does learn, however, the citizens in The Giver did chose their way of life; but because the memories and histories are kept from them, the reader is left to wander if they made the choice willingly or if the choice was forced upon them as in Winston’s case. After all, Jonas himself wonders how much he has been told is the truth, or how much of it may be the lies individuals are allowed to tell. It is confusing why people fear novels, which warn against the horrors and atrocities one may face in a dystopian society. Perhaps it is due to the violent themes these societies suggest. However, there are only two ways people can learn about the horrors and atrocities of dystopian societies. They either learn from first hand experience, or they learn from reading. In order to prevent such atrocities from happening in the future, it is crucial that young adults learn about them when they are young.

Another source of controversy is the ambiguous ending Lowry has given to her story. “Lowry refuses to provide a tidy ending” (Campbell). This leaves the readers to draw their own conclusions about the ending. Either readers feel Jonas and Gabriel died, or readers are more optimistic and believe that Jonas and Gabriel found their happy ending. They were accepted into a family like the memory of the Christmas gathering. The vague ending has caused people to believe young adults will be distraught if they feel the young adults have passed away. Because there are many Biblical allusions throughout the novel, it can be assumed if Jonas and Gabriel died, they entered the Kingdom of Heaven.

As mentioned before, Jonas is the savior of his community. He is given a gift to see beyond, which no one else has. Also, Gabriel’s name leads readers with a Christian background to believe the infant is a messenger sent to deliver revelations to Jonas. Without Gabriel’s attachment to Jonas, the meaning of release may not have been fully revealed to Jonas. Gabriel’s impending release announced the resurrection of Jonas as the savior of his community. Finally, the name Jonas is a variation of Jonah, who was called by God to “Go to the great city Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). Like Jonah, Jonas is scornful of the wickedness in his community. Because preaching against their ways would mean release for Jonas, the only way he can help them is to leave them with their memories so they can become whole again, so they can feel again. The Biblical undertones to The Giver supports the idea this novel is appropriate for young adults. One way people can strengthen faith in other people is to challenge that faith. This book can be used as a tool to strengthen Christian faith in young adults.

So, is The Giver an appropriate novel for schools? It seems many values and morals can be taught from reading the book. The book is written in a manner that leaves questions open in the reader’s mind; thus, it teaches them to think for themselves. Furthermore, Lowry’s novel is appropriate to teach young adults how important the choices they make for themselves are toward their own future. Unlike George Orwell’s 1984, the novel is appropriate for the younger adults, because they, too, need to learn the world is not as picture perfect as they may believe. This notion can light a spark in young adults’ minds, which can lead the way for the freedom of people who are oppressed or wrongfully executed. Furthermore, the book does not harm Christian faith in young minds. In fact it can strengthen that faith. This novel can challenge the minds of the readers. Therefore, it should not be removed from schools. The purpose of sending young adults to school is for them to learn about the world around them. It is just as crucial for young adults to learn the world around them is filled with injustices, as it is for them to learn the world can be a just place. The way young adults learn is by challenging their minds, not sheltering them.

Works Cited

Campbell, Patty. “The Sand in the Oyster.” The Horn Book Magazine. Vol. LXIX.6: Nov.-Dec. 1993: 717-721.

Holy Bible, The. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Zondervan Corporation, 2005.

Lord, Elyse. “The Giver.” Novels for Students. Gale Research: 1998.

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Delacorte, 1993.

Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1977.

The Winds Which Stir Antonio

Though it does not play the most important role in Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, wind does play a significant part in the story. Throughout this coming of age story, important changes become predictable through the wind. This symbol is used as both a foreshadowing tool, as well as a metaphor. When Anaya, mentions “wind,” the reader can rest assured that the story’s protagonist, Antonio is about to experience an event that will leave an impression on his soul. The type of wind that Antonio speaks of can also predict the nature of such events. The winds that stir Antonio strip away his innocence and help him to realize that he is in control of his destiny. They lead to spiritual growth and understanding. These winds gave Antonio a deeper understanding and knowledge than his peers.

In the first chapter, Anaya refers to the wind on two different occasions. The first is during the birth of Antonio, when his parents’ families feuded over the future of the newborn. However, when Antonio first meets Ultima, Anaya uses the wind in a more significant manner. To Antonio, this meeting was the beginning of the changes that were to come. He says, “She took my hand, and I felt the power of a whirlwind sweep around me” [italics mine] (12). From this point on, Antonio began to see the world in a new and exciting way.

Unfortunately, the winds in Bless Me, Ultima do not always bring forth enjoyable changes for the young boy. Though the wind brings changes that cause positive spiritual growth, they tend to do so in a more ominous manner. In chapter six, Antonio describes the dark, evil power of the wind or dust devils. All of Antonio’s acquaintances know the unnatural, evil power of these vicious winds; therefore, they ward the devils off with “the sign of the cross.” Out of curiosity, Antonio purposely does not ward off the dust devil and says after he was struck by the wicked wind, “its evil was left imprinted on my soul” (55). Afterward, Antonio takes his first step toward losing his innocence. He now enters school where he begins his long, tumultuous quest of learning.

More innocence is lost as Antonio’s family learns of a curse that has been put on an uncle, Lucas. He had happened upon the Trementia sisters, known witches, celebrating their black mass. During this encounter, the wind was dreary and cold, which gives a sense of death. The winds are just as menacing as Pedro, Antonio, and Ultima travel to free Lucas from his curse. All around the trio, a brutal dust storm violently rips through the landscape. The skies are dark. This gives the reader with an impending sense of doom and wickedness. The events that followed signified an important turning point in Antonio’s life. This was when Antonio first began to question God and his faith. Antonio could not understand how Ultima had the power to free Lucas from his curse, but God did not. This moment caused a struggle between faith and magic that would follow Antonio throughout the book. Another important event that lead to significant change and reinforced the struggle between magic and faith was the death of Narciso. Before his death, Narciso challenged the blizzard, or, in order to warn his friend, Ultima, of Tenorio’s threat on her life. This cold, fierce, blinding north wind was symbolic for the death that was soon to follow. However the death that coincided with the blizzard was not only the death of Antonio’s friend, but also the symbolic death of his admiration of his older brother Andrew.

Though other winds blow throughout the book, the winds in the final chapter bring an end to this particular journey in Antonio’s life. The winds here bring forth peace and clarity.  His father, for the first time, allows Antonio to be free to choose his future. He tells the young boy that he is descended from people “who held the wind as brother, because he is free” (247). His father goes on to tell him that his mother is from the earth and the two are often “at odds” with one another. Furthermore, the final winds in Bless Me, Ultima are mournful and serene, and they are even found in Ultima’s final words. She tells Antonio he will be able to find her in the gentle winds of the evening (261). This final change and final mention of the wind had brought Antonio closer to maturity than his peers. It left him stripped from his innocence and in control of his future.

Works Cited

Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Grand Central, 1972.

Tenacious Hospitality: Welcoming the Unwelcomed

The lecture was presented by Maleesa Breeding and Dana Hood with guest speaker Suzetta Nut. Dr. Hood explained the purpose of the lecture as how society places the people who are grieving on the margins. She stressed that the lecture does not give answers, but only generates more questions. The lecture is based on the ongoing grief parents of children with special needs face. The first question Dr. Hood asks the audience is how Romans 12:9-16 can teach us what God has called us to do. The section of the scripture she stressed is to be willing to “associate with people of low position.”

Next, Dr. Hood read some quotes from the people who are part of these families. This part of the lecture evoked an emotional response from both the audience and myself. To me, it was more personal. I have thought and said many of the words that were up on the screen and entered my ears. My son is a child with a disability. I felt a sense of relief to realize that I am not alone in my struggles.

After the voices of the families were discussed, Dr. Hood explained that these families are involved in a never-ending cycle of the five stages of grief: denial/isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I partially agree with this. However, as we later discussed in my special education class, most families do not go through an acceptance phase. It is more of a resolution/pro-active stage of grief. To reach acceptance is the same as saying overcoming. When a child is disabled, the family can never overcome or accept the disability; because it would mean that the disability will eventually end. The disability never ends, and the affected family must learn to deal with the disability through resolution. However, Dr. Hood did state that the five stages of grief model is “too simple.” She stated that many families are faced with a sense of hopelessness, especially at times of transitions.

The next section of the lecture focused specifically on Suzetta Nut, the mother of a child with a disability as well as a gifted child. Suzetta is the children’s minister at Highland Church of Christ. She said there is no end to disabilities; and because of this parents often learn to do things they never thought they could. Suzetta talked about the fatigue, financial, and emotional stress on the families. She stressed there is typically two ways that parents approach dealing with a child with special needs. They either act the victim, or they push through and pretend as if all will be well. Suzetta later introduces a third way that parents approach the issue. This approach is one that most parents take only after the other two approaches fail. This is when the parents reach an understanding that their child will never be like other children.

As I stated earlier, parents get to a point of resolution. The third approach of Suzetta Nut’s testimony is where the resolution stage happens. I personally have taken a pro-active approach on my most recent journey through the stages of grief. I have begun to question my previous decisions to try to make my son like everyone else through the use of medications. I realize now that my son was made by God and in the state that God has intended. Who am I to question that? Like Suzetta, I have told everyone to stop praying for my son to be better and just to pray that I can cope with the disability in a compassionate, loving manner. Just as Suzetta does, I also look as my son’s life and his accomplishments as a miracle of God. Suzetta’s experiences have reached me. I know that I can face anything as long as I keep faith in God, and remember that my son is a child of God.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ~ Romans 12:9-16

Osteen: The Business

Joel Osteen is working more on business, than being a minister. I found that his church has spent $90 million to renovate their church. Wow! When I think of that much money, I think about how many starving children could have been fed with that. Anyway, I found this quote from Osteen and thought you may find it interesting. “It's a message of encouragement. I always try to put a seed of hope into people's hearts. I'm not there to teach them doctrine necessarily, but to let them know that God is a good God, and has a plan for their lives. Hopefully, that will restore their faith, or draw them into faith. So I am absolutely trying to bring them to Christianity” (Osteen). I had difficulty finding much about the rules that we should adhere to as Christians, or what it truly means to be a Christian. I also found that Osteen was criticized by Larry King for not keeping his message clear. I agree that this kind of message is what Sider was criticizing.

“Meet the Prosperity Preacher.” 11 Oct. 2007. Business Week. 23 May 2005. <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_21/b3934014_mz001.htm>.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

“God’s Grandeur”

THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
  It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
  It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;        5
  And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
  And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
  There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;        10
And though the last lights off the black West went
  Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
  World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

“The Windhover” 

To Christ our Lord

I CAUGHT this morning morning’s minion, king-
  dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
  Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,        5
  As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
  Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!

Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
  Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion        10
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!

  No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
  Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.

“Carrion Comfort”

NOT, I’ll not, carrion comfort, Despair, not feast on thee;
Not untwist—slack they may be—these last strands of man
In me ór, most weary, cry I can no more. I can;
Can something, hope, wish day come, not choose not to be.
But ah, but O thou terrible, why wouldst thou rude on me        5
Thy wring-world right foot rock? lay a lionlimb against me? scan
With darksome devouring eyes my bruisèd bones? and fan,
O in turns of tempest, me heaped there; me frantic to avoid thee and flee?

Why? That my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear.
Nay in all that toil, that coil, since (seems) I kissed the rod,        10
Hand rather, my heart lo! lapped strength, stole joy, would laugh, chéer.
Cheer whom though? the hero whose heaven-handling flung me, fóot tród
Me? or me that fought him? O which one? is it each one? That night, that year
Of now done darkness I wretch lay wrestling with (my God!) my God.

Analysis

To Hopkins, God is the creator and the savior of man. He is the power, truth, beauty, and answer. Also to Hopkins, God is all around man, even if they do not notice Him.

“The world is charged with the grandeur of God. / It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; / It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil / Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?” (“God’s Grandeur;” lines 1-4) 

Hopkins uses an electrical current and oil as metaphors for the power, beauty, and majesty of God. The power, beauty, and majesty have been infused through the entire world. Most men do not see or feel the “grandeur” of God, though it is there. Because they do not see him, these men ignore God.

And for all this, nature is never spent; / There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; / And though the last lights off the black West went / Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent / World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings. (“God’s Grandeur”) 

Despite the destruction of the world due to the Industrial Revolution, nature still exists because of God. The beauty and power of God can be found in nature because it is an indication of God’s existence, more like a manifestation. God creates life even in the darkest recesses of the world.

“daylight’s dauphin” (“The Windhover;” line 2) 

Hopkins use of daylight is a metaphor for God. Daylight is known in many cultures as a giver of life, because without sunlight, life cannot be sustained. For Christians, God is the giver of life. Without God, life cannot be sustained.

Why? That my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear. / Nay in all that toil, that coil, since (seems) I kissed the rod, / Hand rather, my heart lo! lapped strength, stole joy, would laugh, chéer. / Cheer whom though? the hero whose heaven-handling flung me, fóot tród / Me? or me that fought him? O which one? is it each one? That night, that year / Of now done darkness I wretch lay wrestling with (my God!) my God. (“Carrion Comfort;” lines 9-14) 

Regardless of all of Hopkins’ suffering, he accepted God. His acceptance has made him happy and strong. Though he still suffers and questions his faith, God still rescued him, and beauty is still around him. God is his answer, his truth.

Hopkins’ poetry all seems to have the same underlying theme. The three poems assigned reflect man’s struggle with God. In “God’s Grandeur,” Hopkins admits that not all men are believers, and some who do believe, ignore God. These same assumptions can be made about man in today’s society. Paganism and Wicca are on the rise, as is the claims of Atheistic beliefs. These shifts in religious beliefs are evidence of man’s struggle with God.

Osteen the Business Minister

Joel Osteen is working more on business, than being a minister. I found that his church has spent $90 million to renovate their church. Wow! When I think of that much money, I think about how many starving children could have been fed with that. Anyway, I found this quote from Osteen and thought you may find it interesting. “It's a message of encouragement. I always try to put a seed of hope into people's hearts. I'm not there to teach them doctrine necessarily, but to let them know that God is a good God, and has a plan for their lives. Hopefully, that will restore their faith, or draw them into faith. So I am absolutely trying to bring them to Christianity” (Osteen). I had difficulty finding much about the rules that we should adhere to as Christians, or what it truly means to be a Christian. I also found that Osteen was criticized by Larry King for not keeping his message clear. I agree that this kind of message is what Sider was criticizing.

“Meet the Prosperity Preacher.” 11 Oct. 2007. Business Week. 23 May 2005. <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_21/b3934014_mz001.htm>.

We need to all remember what Christ taught us before we are led astray.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. ~ Acts 4:32-35

Feasting

Keep the Feast
Darryl Tippens

"Jeff Smith is a gourmet cook known to millions through his weekly television program "The Frugal Gourmet". Smith is a master chef, but he is also a fine theologian who understands the unique role of food in the Bible. 

As Smith explains, the Bible is filled with "food" talk, but the Bible is not talking about food. It is talking about theology, or "God" talk. The word faith is used about 275 times in the Bible...but the verb to eat is used some 800 times. Jesus never says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any one should open the door, I will enter and discuss existential theology with him." No, Jesus says, "I will sup with him." (Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast: Past, Present and Future New York, William Morrow, 1995, p. 3) 

When the Bible talks about food, it is almost always talking about something else more important. All of Jesus' appearances after his resurrection (except one) occur at a mealtime. What is the point behind this surprising fact? The meal is the place where friendship, covenant, and love are most evident in ancient Palestine. Truths are revealed at the table, as in no other way. (See Luke 24:28-35) 

Food is a "language" that reveals both God's goodness and our human frailty. The Bible constantly parallels our need for God (the Manna of Life) and our need for daily bread. Human hunger is a lasting reminder that we need something, and we need someone. As long as we know hunger, we can never delude ourselves into thinking we are self-sufficient. Food is a precious gift from God, a daily reminder of our permanent need for God. 

Jesus took out time to eat meals and attend festivals and weddings. He took time to go to the garden for prayer, and he met God in remote mountain retreats. He lingered over quiet conversations with just one person at a time, and he communed with his closest friends Peter, James and John. Daily nourishment, Jesus shows us, comes through communion with the Father and with our friends in the Faith."

I never really thought about feasting in the way that Tippens describes. It does, however, make sense. With a lot of the families that I know, there are two types. There is either the type that seems very close to one another, and then there is the type that does not seem to get along. The families that are typically close to one another are the ones who take the time out to sit at a meal uninterrupted. The other type of family seems to have people eating in different rooms than one another, or not at the same time. Often times it is because the parents say it is not worth the trouble. I, unfortunately, came from the latter. To this day my siblings and I do not seem to have the connection that I feel we should. I insist on my family in my home to actually sit at the table with no music, no television, and no telephones. If the phone rings, we do not answer it; that is what the machine is for. This is the one time of the day that we can all connect with one another and share.

Losing Faith

I know it is common for people to lose faith in God when they have suffered greatly, and I fully agree that we all need sympathy at times. I know when I am hurting and someone tells me, “Well, it could be worse” or “You have been through worse things, why can’t you get through this,” I tend to get angry with them. I realize that worse things can happen, but it seems at times that I receive too much at once. It is very hard for us to understand why we suffer, or why some people seem to suffer more than others. Only God understands why. What I am sure of, though, is through my suffering and through my pain I have found strength. Furthermore, I look at this strength as a gift, no matter how I had gained it.

“That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Her Wound is Incurable

Fred Asare compared Samaria and Jerusalem with the United States and Africa. There are great inequalities between the distribution of wealth and poverty, abundance and need, and joy and sorrow. The rich in abundance are crushing the poor, just as the strong are crushing the weak.

In Africa, children go to church with out clothing. In Africa, children are orphaned due to AIDS and are left with no one to care for them. Many of these children die of starvation before the age of five. Many of these children are caring for their younger siblings, and many of these children are sold into slavery and prostitution. Americans tend to be never satisfied with what they have. God will not allow us to do nothing. He will pass judgment on those that sit idly by.

Right and Wrong

At preschool age, I felt as though everything I did were wrong. I was punished severely for the most minute of actions. I clung to members of my church more than I did my family. I trusted very few people and was a fearful child, because of abuse. I barely knew my father even though he lived in the home. He worked up from sun-up to sundown. The only time I did see my father, he was drunk. My mother and father were physically fighting with one another or with others. I thought it was acceptable to fight with people because of this. My siblings and I fought all of the time and often injured each other. We had all almost literally killed one another. At the time, the only positive role models I had were those from my church.

It was not until I started elementary school that I really begun to understand right from wrong. What was acceptable behavior at school was not mirrored at home, so I did often stay confused. My siblings and I still battled, but we were all withdrawn from others. I dove into schoolwork and dedicated every bit of spare time to church activities. I learned my morals from Brother Blair, not from my family. I felt as if I could get away with more and be a kid at church, because being a child at home was wrong. Therefore, I still felt I did more wrong than good. Because I did not fully understand religion and did not have anyone at home that could explain things to me, I believed I was a sinner and would most certainly go to hell. I was still in elementary school when I began puberty. Because my father would threaten that we better not ever go through puberty, I hid my period from my family for two years. I thought I had done something wrong to cause me to get my period. Did you ever see “Carrie?” Yes, it was like that. I was told by my father that bad girls get their periods; and if you get your period, you will go to hell. I also knew that adultery was wrong and did not understand that child molestation was not adultery.

Because I had lived with the guilt for so long, I purposely did wrong things in high school. I wanted help, but could not get it. Every time I ran away, I was arrested at church. I went to my pastor for help, but he turned me in, so I felt betrayed. This confused me more than ever before, because I felt that it was right to look for salvation and sanctuary within the Lord. However, the law told me running away was a crime. At this point, I believed that no matter what I did, it was wrong.

I lost faith in church and God through my young adult years. I left home at seventeen and married a man that almost killed me and in the process caused me to lose my child. He got away with his crimes against me, so I felt that it was acceptable to allow a man to beat me. After all, this is how I was raised. I began to feel that God was punishing me for my loss of faith. I turned to drugs and alcohol though I knew it was a crime. I left my ex-husband, which went against everything I had ever been taught. In my church divorce was a sin, and in my family it was a crime. I was disowned from my family and excommunicated from my church for this. For the first time in my life, I had to find out right from wrong on my own. I married a wonderful man at 23 years old. I quit using, because of him. I started to look at my Christian values once again. This time, I did it on my own. Over the last few years, I have begun to realize what the Christian ethic looks like. I know right from wrong and know God does not cause us pain, he takes the pain away. Because I did not ever see what parenting is like, I have dove into it with blinders on. I know how poorly my parents treated me and how this hurt me. I know what they did is wrong. Therefore, I act the opposite toward my children and hope it is right.

I am almost in my middle adulthood stage. My understanding of right and wrong, now, is that the right thing to do has no victims. It may be difficult, but it hurts no one. The wrong action hurts one or many. I also am wise enough to know that governmental laws and justice are not always right. God’s laws trump all others.

A Literary Analysis of the Letter to the (2) Corinthians

Each of Paul’s letters serves a specific purpose. In my exploration of Paul’s purpose for 2 Corinthians, I will give a brief history, give a summary to the letter, share what I took the message to be, compare my understanding with other understandings, look at the structure that Paul uses, and examine how this letter fits into the formation of ministry. First, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to the church in Corinth and the Christians throughout Achaia in 55 A.D. Paul wrote this letter because he felt that his first letter did not accomplish its purpose, which was to explain what it means to be a Christian. Paul was concerned because the Corinthians had still not completely given up their pagan lifestyles, and there were many that opposed Paul. Therefore, he wrote the letter.

In the first section of the letter, Paul greets the church and the Christians in Achaia. He praises God and asks for comfort for himself and his brethren. Next, Paul tells of his trouble in Asia. He said they almost perished, but God spared them from such a fate. Next, Paul shares with the readers his change in travel plans. He states it would be too painful to make the trip at the moment, and he wishes to spare the Christians in Corinth from this pain. Paul then begins to speak to them of forgiveness at this point.

In the next section, Paul now goes into the apostolic ministry part of his letter. He tells the Corinthians it is because he is a believer in God that he does not preach his message for profit. Paul now tells the Corinthians only through Christ will they find the full glory or “radiance” of God. Paul goes on to explain the reason he preaches is not for what we all see before us, but for what we cannot see, our eternal reward. In chapter 5, Paul explains this reward as a heavenly home. He then reminds the Corinthians that we all must face judgment. Next, Paul tells them he is not trying to force them to follow God, but he is giving them a choice or “opportunity.” Paul then goes on to explain Christianity as rebirth, and as Christians, we all have a responsibility as “ambassadors” for Christ. Paul then states in 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us.” Paul follows this by explaining the trouble he has endured in the name of Christ and asking the Corinthians to open their hearts to him. Paul now reaffirms that we are all a part of one God. Paul explains though he did regret hurting the Corinthians by his first letter, he no longer regrets sending it, because the letter made them repent. He explains that Godly sorrow leads to salvation, while worldly sorrow only leads to death.

The next section of Paul’s letter is the collection or hortatory section. Paul commends the Macedonians for being so generous, and he then asks the Corinthians to be as generous. Paul now tells the Corinthians that he is sending Titus of his own free will and asks that they accept him as their brother. Paul tells them he has been proud of them for wanting to help those in Jerusalem, and they should live up to their “eagerness” to help. He says, “each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give” (9:7). Paul tells them that their action of giving will bring the church together and help it to grow.

The final section of Paul’s letter changes gears a bit. At this point (ch. 10), Paul feels he must defend his ministry more fully. He explains that he only lives in the world, but he does not live of the world. He says his authority comes from God in order to build Christians up not to pull them down (10:8). Paul explains he is the same in person as he is in his letters. He reaffirms his authority by explaining he boasts of the Lord, not of himself. Next, Paul explains what makes those against Paul false prophets. One main point is that false prophets charge for their sermons, another is that they are a burden to those they preach to, and finally a true preacher loves his congregation. Paul drives home his message at this point. He explains the hardships he has endured in the name of Christianity. He then explains that through complete weakness and suffering, we find the grace of God. He says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10). Paul then explains that he wants nothing of the Corinthians but their faith. He shares his love with them and he will be grieved for those who have not repented. Paul warns the Corinthians that on his return he will not spare any that have sinned and not repented. He asks them to look inside themselves and see if Christ is with them. Paul now closes the letter by telling his brothers to “Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace” (13:11).

I feel that Paul’s overall message is quite simple, he wants the people to truly accept God into their hearts the way that he has and to understand what it means to be a Christian. I feel the central point of the letter is the focus of the entire letter. I feel Paul purposefully put his break in thought in 6:3-7:1 to draw our attention to this message. He feels that the Corinthians have not seen the grace of God, because they do not show love and forgiveness to their brothers. They do not show a sense of pride in their Lord. Paul feels they have not realized that they will find God only if they live through hardship in the manner that he has. He grieves for them because they still allow fleshly desires control their lives. Paul wants to help them by getting them to give up their fleshly possessions in order to give to the church in Jerusalem. Paul lets them know that he has suffered greatly for his brothers, and he reminds his brothers that they will only find God’s grace in their weaknesses.

My understanding of Paul’s message differs greatly from DeSilva’s, because he focuses more on “What makes a person a worthy Christian leader?” (586). DeSilva feels this was the most important part of Paul’s final letter to the Corinthians. I, on the other hand, feel that Paul touched on this greatly, but it was not his central message. To me his central message is what makes a Christian a good Christian. The two concepts are closely interrelated, but not all Christians are born leaders. Perhaps though DeSilva is trying to say role model instead, which I feel would have been a more appropriate term. DeSilva also focuses more on allowing “God’s presence to shine through” (586-7). I agree with DeSilva when he states that “for in his [Paul’s] weakness God’s strength is known” (587) is part of Paul’s message. This, to me, is when God’s presence shines through. Throughout the entire letter, the line that stands out the most to me is “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10). Next DeSilva and I both added giving to the poor as part of the central message of Paul. However, the New International Commentary focuses more on generosity as being key than just adding it to something else. DeSilva added the sense of community where I did not. I failed to add this, because the idea of community is still new to me. I have only just begun to understand what community truly means in the last couple of months. Therefore, it did not jump out to me; though, I can certainly see it now. Furthermore, Tenney agrees with DeSilva on the picture of the ministry being important as well as the teaching on giving. However, he also focuses on the “prospects beyond death” as being significant to Paul’s message.

The structure Paul uses for 2 Corinthians is of great interest to me. Paul starts out his message slow and sincere. He voices his concern. Then he becomes very harsh as if he is punishing a child. He ends the letter again, slow and sincere. The letter reminds me of a symphony it gradually crescendos and ends in peaceful harmony. Maybe we should use this as a metaphor for Paul’s message. Being a Christian is a difficult task in which we must loudly boast our praises unto the Lord, but its goal is peaceful unity and harmony. Paul has two main breaks in thought to help get this message across according to the New International Commentary.

These are as follows:

thought a (1:1-2:13)
     thought b (2:14-6:2)
          thought c (6:3-7:1)
     thought b1 (7:2-7:4)
thought a1 (7:5-13:14)

From what I have learned on chiasms, I feel that 6:3-7:1 is where Paul’s main point/message lies. Which, as I have said before is, what it means to be a Christian, and to fully accept God into your heart.

Finally, DeSilva states, “Each text was written to serve some specific pastoral needs and answer a range of important questions arising out of the life of the church.” To DeSilva, 2nd Corinthians is Paul’s guidebook for the minister. He puts great emphasis on making sure you are ready to truly be a minister before you try. Do not go into ministry for financial or economical gain. Sincerity is the most important trait of a minister. Do not take from the poor, or as Paul would put it, be a “burden” to others for your own personal gain. Finally, make sure your congregation upholds the laws of God by helping them to recognize their sin and encouraging them to repent. I think overall, Paul is trying to build a church that is unified and loving he wants nothing, but faith in God from his congregation. Paul wants his people to understand it is not easy to be a Christian. The work is tedious and tiresome, but the rewards are immense.