I continue to maintain that I am a work in progress. I am much more likely to listen to Bible stories during service than I am to crack open my brand-new large-font Bible. I’ve tried downloading it on my Kindle, challenging myself to read a chapter daily, and even downloading James Earl Jones reading the Bible! It doesn’t matter; I get overwhelmed every single time! Yet, I don’t give up; I keep reflecting and trying to read what is arguably the “greatest book of all time.” As I work towards reading the Bible, it becomes second nature to me. I see God’s words in other books I read, and even in a Broadway musical my child is performing in. They aren’t direct biblical quotes but quotes that cause me to reflect upon sermon conversations and core values. I wanted to share them with you, as they might touch someone else’s heart and mind, just as they have mine.
The first is from “Rent,” a musical written by Jonathan Larson that premiered on Broadway in 1996 during my tumultuous high school years. I always latched onto “Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.” It was my senior quote in the yearbook. It speaks for itself. It wasn’t until I sat in the audience on Friday and then processed this past Sunday’s service conversation that a different quote played repeatedly in my mind. “What binds a fabric together when the raging, shifting winds of change keep ripping away?”. If that quote doesn’t summarize what we’ve been discussing regarding core values, I’m not sure what else does! I don’t know that Jesus was at the forefront of the composer’s mind when he penned the musical, but I do see the sanctity of every life. “Rent” is a musical that embraces many different lifestyles and displays what the AIDS epidemic did to the community. The language can be crass, but the message of love is something I have carried with me since I first listened to the CD.
I am reading “Marmee: A Novel of Little Women” by Sarah Miller for something completely different. Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” has been my favorite book since before high school. I’ve read everything in the series and devoured all of them. When I saw this book, I decided to try it as it is written from the mother’s point of view. The nuggets of wisdom shared in this novel are remarkable, and I’m only 25% of the way in! I want to share two of these. One applies to our work in the community, and the other is the concept of goodness. “It is one thing to fight poverty, oppose slavery, or bolster our troops, quite another to enter another fellow being’s home, to feed her children and slacken her fever….we have separated ourselves – forcing them to come to us on neutral ground… If no one asks for help, we presume no one is hungry…We cannot assess anyone’s true need without becoming acquainted with them”. I sat with that for a long time, but it’s true, and I must reflect on my reluctance to truly walk through hardships truly, not just throw things I think may fix them. The other quote, “I have been inadvertently teaching my girls that goodness is the absence of faults. An unattainable goal that can only lead to a lifetime of discouragement.” I stopped when reading this quote. Do I portray goodness as not failing to my children? I hope not, but I know I will be examining this further.
So many quotes shone through our book club book this month, but I will save those for Thursday’s discussion. Where have you heard or seen God when you don’t expect it? I’d love to hear from you! – Amanda
PS – Maybe if I don’t start with Genesis, I will get further this time I open my beautiful purple Bible!