Friendship and Virtue: the beginning of a Fellowship reading journal

A few weeks ago Dr. L. sent an email to those of us enrolled in Tolkien: Friendship and Virtue for this fall, asking us to read The Fellowship of the Ring before class starts and to keep a reading journal as we go through it. That's a pretty normal assignment, especially for difficult or controversial works. But this is the Lord of the Rings!

What, I wondered, would I put in my reading journal? What five questions could I come up with for the first day of class? It's Frodo. It's the ring. Brave little hobbit and friends going through deadly peril to free the world from evil. I prepared to jot down inconsequential notes, highlighting favorite parts, and examine the character of each hobbit, man, elf and dwarf, but didn't expect to come out with anything remarkable.

Well, within the first 150 pages, I've noted many thought-provoking passages. For instance, when Gandalf tells Frodo the responsibility for the ring rests on him now and he must take it out of the Shire, Frodo doesn't object. He's determined to follow in Bilbo's footsteps, perhaps even enjoy seeing the great wide world beyond the sheltered Shire. But he is only a young hobbit, and not at all savvy to the ways of that outside world. He looks at Gandalf, contemplating his journey. "But where will my courage come from?" he asks. "That is chiefly what is needed."

Where does courage come from? Confidence in the self, or in one's friends, or in the rightness of the cause? Lack of fear, or overcoming fear? Virtue doesn't just bubble from some helpful spring. Frodo will have to learn courage. I'm looking forward to following the progress of one little hobbit until he succeeds in gaining that courage.

When Will They Understand?

I’ve been reading New York Times reporter Dexter Filkins’ book The Forever War this summer, which is an account of the several years he spent in Afghanistan and Iraq covering the war for the Times. At first I just loved the book. Filkins is an outstanding writer, using vivid words and succinct descriptions to convey a sense of what it’s like to be in the midst of a war-torn country, watching a war fought in the fuzzy gray between the black and white each side alone sees.

But soon the conflicts of right and wrong started to get to me. Filkins is being un-American, I thought; he’s purposely choosing unflattering episodes to recount and conversations to convey. American soldiers are gullible, unrestrained, unnecessarily violent- or are they, Dexter? I asked. But then Filkins started talking about Al Quaeda and the Taliban, and all the horrors thy inflict on everyone they can reach. Sometimes they target their own people, sometimes Iraqis only get hurt because they were in the way of getting to Americans. Not to mention that many Iraqis and Afghanis grew up in a world of war before the Americans ever entered their countries; they fight under quarreling warlords, switching sides when it looks like one is stronger than the other, killing the men they fought with the day before. Just orders.

So the Americans are liberators; they’ve freed us, set up order and given us another chance at a free life. We’re glad they’ve come. Or are you, Iraqis? I demanded.

In a city just over the Syrian border, a man asked Filkins to have lunch with him. The reporter agreed because he was desperate for someone to talk to in that city. So the man offered him a feast of a lunch, feeding him till he was stuffed. “Maybe, now” he said to one of Filkins’ Iraqi colleagues, “the food will stick in his throat and he will choke.”

They continued to talk, friendly, until the man asked his guest if he could show him a video. The video was of an American man being killed by Iraqis. Filkins’ host rocked back and forth, delighted. Yes, kill the Americans.

Finally, halfway through the book, I realized that neither the Americans or the Iraqis are completely black or white. Nothing is clear-cut and simple. Neither understands the other; neither fully knows what the other is trying to accomplish. Everyone lies, everyone assumes the other side thinks like they do, and wonders when they will understand what’s going on. Don’t they know, wonder American commanders, that if they stop targeting us we’ll stop retaliating? Don’t they know democracy is better?

Don’t they know, wonder the Iraqis, that we don’t want them here? That democracy will never succeed because the strong ones don’t want it? Don’t they know this is our way of life?

When will they understand?

I Miss The Canals

Who wouldn't?

Playing Catch-up

Well, I didn't mean to not blog for so long! It's just been a busy couple weeks since getting home from Holland. I've been riding my horsy buddy Mason, who's been doing great. I love that horse. I've also been catching up with friends, doing some odd jobs for mom, going to the gym, and generally not building up writing experience like I was supposed to.

Sorry, Tracy. Sorry, Ingrid. They're the ones who let me into the journalism program. But how do you get involved covering local news when you're home only for a few weeks at a time? Now we're in Minnesota, and when we get home from here, I'll only be home for maybe six more days before I'm off to Michigan for MB's wedding!! Where did the time go? Have I actually been home? It's not that I haven't wanted to blog or write for the newspaper. Ask Mom: I randomly pull out scraps of paper and even receipts, scribble notes on current events, and stick them back in my purse. Where they stay.

One thing I've been wanting to write about is how the Oregon government has been dealing with big state issues this summer. There are numerous problems that need addressing, like homelessness and meth addicts and roads that are falling apart. Not to mention that Oregon has just risen above Michigan in unemployment at over 12.2% now, making it the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country.

So what does the Oregon state legislature do? They pass a bill naming the crab Oregon's state crustacean, a move that cost taxpayers thousands of dollars, and rename a Portland street in honor of Cesar Chavez, a farmer who co-founded United Farm Workers. I'm happy for Mr. Chavez, but what about the unemployed people and the homeless living near the recently renamed street? It's time for some real hard work to be done across the river, guys. What you do affects my state, too.

On a happier note, we spent the day in Itasca State Park and it was lovely!! Pictures to come. When I get home (guess who didn't bring a camera cord!). We even saw a loon, which made the day complete.

Reflections

I have so much to catch up on, and I plan to blog a (mostly) day-by-day account of my trip to Holland. But first, some reflections upon being home. 

I don't know how much of an impact mine and Michelle's visit had on the students and church family of Cross Culture Calvary Chapel, but I know it had a great deal of influence on me. It was like spending two weeks in the life of new missionaries and joining in their work, not exactly sure what we were going to do each day, but more sure each day of our purpose there. Every day we went out and spent time with people and praying for the country, then came home and talked about the best way to share Jesus with them. 

I got to see firsthand, for instance, how much the community of the Body of Christ can affect a non-believer. That made me rethink the idea that real evangelism means finding strangers and talking to them about Jesus. How are they supposed to see the saving work of Jesus in my life and in the life of the Body if they don't know us?

And the church- we talked a lot about the church and how we are to be visible to our communities, how we are different from the rest of the world. That really struck me one of the first days we were there: we sat at lunch with several members of the church talking about Dutch people and one of the boys said, "Well, not us. We're different." And it's true. 

Now I must learn how to be a missionary in my own town and my own school. It's harder for me, this daily sacrifice of laying down my life for my brothers, than one big and adventurous sacrifice to go overseas. But I know this is the next step. 

First few days

Michelle and I have been in the Netherlands for four days now, and are starting to get a sense of the town, the people, and the needs. I think a lot of our trip will be spent praying- prayerwalking around hopefully two college campuses, though I think one is locked, so we'll stand and pray in front of it. :) Praying for the schools, which are so central to kids' mindsets and beliefs. Praying for the churches, most of which are not teaching the Truth. Praying for this church, Cross Culture Calvary Chapel, that they would be a light in this dark country.

It's a beautiful country, actually; I think the quaint houses and the canals (and mini-canals, whose name I can't pronounce) add a lot of character. :) The people are tall. And fast bikers. They don't all speak English, and they don't seem to have as much self-consciousness in public- the referee, scorekeeper, and several spectators of a volleyball game we caught yesterday were dancing to the techno music- and they seem to be very friendly toward people they know. All this makes me think that if we can strike up conversations with people, they might be open to talking and even talking about God. I certainly hope so.

On Thursday and Friday Michelle and I recovered from our awful jet-lag (we arrived her at 7am!) and saw some of Hoofddorp and Niew Vennep, which is the town we're actually in. Yesterday we got our study/lesson ready for the youth study on Tuesday; Joey's letting us lead that, since it's our best bet for talking to the most of Cross Culture's youth. We'll talk about unity & community as the Body of Christ, and how that leads to obedience & produces boldness in our faith as individuals and as a community.

Then we walked around ourselves, past the big shopping center and all the way down to what we guessed was Niew Vennep station- tons of cars and tons of bikes parked near train ticket machines. We noticed kids with soccer balls running around, and hope to start the youth meeting every week to play soccer and attract town kids to play with them. Soccer here is social, and I know from experience that you actually can have good conversations with people when you meet to play. They won't just kick each other. :-) We spent the walk back praying for the town, specifically for the churches and schools, vital places in every town.

Today was church, and now it's naptime; I think Michelle and I will go prayerwalking some more, and maybe see if we can strike up any conversations. They don't really meet for coffee or anything here, which is why soccer could be such a good thing, so we don't know where to find people who are just hanging out; but please pray that God would send us people all week to talk to, and to pray for, and that He would show us specific needs. Also pray that God, not us, would speak on Tuesday; our goal this trip is to get the youth to grasp the importance and possibility of missional living here in their own town. We need Him to do that because right now we don't have that many opportunities to be with many of them- but there are a small group of them we should be seeing alot, so pray especially for them. They're pretty solid now; they just need help getting things like campus Bible study, etc. off the ground.

This is already long, and it's only Sunday! I'll post as I can, and mostly I'll probably post day-by-day posts when I get home. Pray for good conversations and effective prayer. Thank you!

~Michal

Hoofdoorp, Here I Come

In sixteen days I fly off to Holland with my friend Michelle! Oh my goodness. I'm really excited. Nervous, too, of course; I've been responsible for a large part of the trip and it's partly my choices that decide how the trip turns out. It's looking different than it did last year and even six months ago; I thought there would be several more people coming, giving us a "normally" sized & "normally" functioning missions team. Why I wanted the additional stress of being in charge of other people in a foreign country I don't know. :) What I do know, though, is that this missions trip is turning out how God always intended for it to. It's His good pleasure that Michelle and I go; many other people were given the opportunity, and despite some other interested friends, it'll be the two of us. 

Despite my flaws -- read procrastination and indecision- as a trip planner, I really think God will be working a lot during our two weeks in Hoofdoorp, Netherlands. We'll be working with the youth at Cross Culture Calvary Chapel there, serving with them and showing them how to make servanthood for Christ a daily part of their lives and faith. What a challenge for us; that's what Michelle and I are still learning to do, of course. But God has called, and He is faithful to complete through us what He's asked. 

We'll be going to their school to pray, going to the college to help them begin ministry on campus much like what we've been growing at Hillsdale, doing a lot of prayer walking, identifying needs in the town and ways to meet them, and doing some evangelism. Please pray for boldness; Michelle and I are both quiet people who don't like to inconvenience others or be turned down. We need words to speak. But we have the Living Word; pray for us to be filled up with the Spirit so we do speak. 

Still working out daily plans; but they're coming together. Planning small group discussions and Bible studies to go through with the Dutch kids in the evenings, and what we need most to study. I'll be updating frequently, I hope, until I'm back and have lots to say. :)