Madeleine L’Engle

We Cannot Wait

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The Bible says that in the fullness of time, or when the time was ripe, God sent Jesus into the world. From a purely human perspective, it would have made more sense to wait until the world was more advanced technologically. God could have waited until we had the ability to communicate instantly to any point on the globe, but He didn’t.

The moment God chose was the moment God chose. In a divine wisdom that is higher than our understanding, God chose that precise moment in history to take on flesh and blood and dwell with us. That was the point that has defined how we measure time, B.C. for Before Christ, and A.D. for Anno Domini or in the year of our Lord (after Christ).

I found this lovely poem by Madeleine L’Engle about God choosing the perfect time to be born into our world:

“He did not wait till the world was ready, 
till men and nations were at peace. 
He came when the Heavens were unsteady, 
and prisoners cried out for release. 

He did not wait for the perfect time. 
He came when the need was deep and great. 
He dined with sinners in all their grime, 
turned water into wine. 

He did not wait till hearts were pure. 
In joy he came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt. 
To a world like ours, of anguished shame 
he came, and his Light would not go out. 

He came to a world which did not mesh, 
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn. 
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh 
the Maker of the stars was born. 

We cannot wait till the world is sane 
to raise our songs with joyful voice, 
for to share our grief, to touch our pain, 
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!”

Revisiting The Silmarillion

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It’s been a while, but I’m back.

Much like people who revisit familiar places as vacation destinations, I’m going back to revisit a favorite book series of mine, starting with The Silmarillion.

A primer is in order first. The Silmarillion is like Middle Earth 101 (or to risk being a little sacrilegious, the Middle Earth Bible). It starts with the creation of all things and progresses from there.

If you love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, this is where it all started. Literally. J. R. R. Tolkien began working on this manuscript way before The Hobbit and worked on it continuously until he died. His son, Christopher, published it  four years after Tolkien’s death.

It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s Wagnerian in its scope and not quite as warm and friendly as The Hobbit or LOTR. I don’t see how anyone could adapt this into a feature film (though I imagine someone will make an attempt in the near future).

I could have titled this blog post “Yes, I am a Nerd (and Thanks for Noticing).” I don’t mind. I can think of very few who could create such a fully realized reality such as Middle Earth, complete with an assortment of beings who had their own histories and languages. Though Tolkien didn’t intend them as allegories in the strictest sense, you can pull all sorts of inferences from his writings.

For the record, I am a fan of all things Harry Potter and Narnia. I also love the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L’Engle. At least those are the ones that come to mind.

Hopefully, I won’t rush through this time. I want to stop and savor all of Middle Earth. Too bad there’s not a “I went to The Shire and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” t-shirt.

 

Looking for New Good Reads

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I have confessed before that I am a huge fan of both The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings series, both of which I read on an annual basis. I also read The Space Trilogy, another set of gems by C. S. Lewis.

I’m always on the lookout for more good reads along these lines. I really liked the Harry Potter series, as well as the Twilight series. I’ve also read my fair share of George MacDonald’s fantasy novels. Madeleine L’Engle is another recent discovery for me.

What do you recommend that I read next (after The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)? I prefer series, but I can also read standalone novels, too.

On a totally unrelated note, I really do love the new TV series Revolution. It reminds me quite a bit of Lost, because there’s so much mystery about it and so much that is not what it seems. I highly recommend it.

This blog comes to you from Edisto Beach, South Carolina, where I am currently on vacation with the family. There will probably be blogs to come about Charleston and other related South Carolinian shenanigans to follow. Keep your ears pinned to the ground and your eyes open. Maybe not at the same time.

Until next time, stay trusting in God and believing that anything is possible.