Missing the point about fantasy literature. (rough draft and too long... )

Fantasy literature was all I would read when I was growing up. I read hundreds of fantasy books. I read the Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, the Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks (one of my favorite authors), and many books by Piers Anthony. I was captivated by Robert Aspirin's Myth Adventures and by a little known book called the Miss-Enchanted sword. My role models were the Dark Elf, Drizzt, in the Crystal Shard, Gandalf in the Hobit, and especially Allanon in the Shannara universe. All through middle school and early high school it was not uncommon for me to read 1500 pages over the course of a weekend. My life would be put on hold whenever a new book in a series I was reading came out. Then when I got in youth group in High School I somehow started to feel like maybe, since I was the only one reading them, I must be doing something wrong... so I stopped.

A few years ago when the Lord of the Rings came out as a series of movies I went back and re-read the series. I liked it so much I went an pulled my Terry Brooks series out of my parents attic. I like that so much that I started re-reading all that I had read as a child.

What is so interesting about fantasy literature is that it pulls into a different world and in so doing allows us to examine issues and choices "outside" of ourselves and the every day world. If someone today talks about war or terrorism or abortion people immediately shut down because they are sick of talking about "political issues, they already have their opinion, or they just hold to the party line, whatever their party may be. Real thought is made difficult because the issues are a little to close to home. In fantasy universes, we end up looking at many of these themes, and are able to see the underlying issues more clearly because it is a contained universe where thinking is safe and doesn't cause my dinner to be ruined by an unwanted political disagreement with a now former friend.

Through the characters we learn about heroic sacrifice and begin to see it as something that we all ought to do. We are able to see through materialism as we watch the small selfish choices which lead the characters in these books into painful situations and ultimately lead to either allowing a great evil or becoming greatly evil.

As I read these books again, particularly the Sword of Shanara, I ended up thanking God that he had used these "evil" books to do so much good in shaping not only who I had become, but the very standards of morality that I measured myself by.

Fantasy "discipled" me in many ways, nurturing the heroic impulses within me and creating a longing to make a difference in the world... to be a hero. Ultimately as I look back I see that these mystical morality tales are a major piece of how I eventually came to want to be a pastor, and how I am able to use narrative and heroic epic to inspire others to follow Christ. The Bible, in so many ways is the ultimate fantasy novel (except that it is true)... it has miracles, giants, dragons, and a magical God who is able to do anything... but who chose to save the world through love, instead of subjugate it through raw power and fear. In fact... perfect love drives out fear...

I wonder if many who are so against most fantasy (I grow weary of listening to people try to attack harry potter while in the same breath defending Tolkien... both are fantasy, have dragons, cast spell, and cause kids to have wizards for heros...Gandalf is like Harry Potter all grown up..but I digress) are afraid of it because it actually causes people to think again about the issues of our day rather than simply stick to the judgments of previous generations.



one additional thought that I am not sure how to fit in... much fantasy is incredibly well written... almost art in itself... hp 7 is a great example of this... I wonder if it is not the exact so of thing Phil 4:8 is talking about... I know that while watching the 3rd installment of Harry Potter in the theatre I was so moved by one of the scenes God used it to draw me to work through a painful issue from my past. I am not saying the movie is Christian, but the God is able to use all beauty, because without him there can be nothing beautiful.

I realize this is a hot button issue and that there are strong lines drawn on this issue. I do not wish to enter a debate about it... I just want to be true to the great good that fantasy literature has been in my life. I am a christian, a pastor... and an avid reader of fantasy novels...

The Deathly Hallows.

Disclaimer: This a post about the midnight book release of the new Harry Potter book — if you are of the opinion that Christians shoudn’t engage with contemporary culture, that’s fine, but I’m not going to engage in that debate here… I suggest you skip the post and we can still be friends. (thanks charlie!)

A good friend of mine called me the other day and asked if I would go with him to the midnight book release of Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows (book 7). I was super excited to go along and happy to have a good friend for the adventure. The experience left a lasting impression on me that I am still trying to understand and interpret. Here are some observations.

1. At a time when 20 somethings are abandoning the church because of its irrelevance to their lives and in ability to make a difference in them, there were around a thousand of them at the Barnes and Noble I went to.

2. All of this buzz is for a book... a lone superstar piece of print in an increasingly digital age.

3. There were people of all walks of life... all ages groups... differing racial representation... differing political affiliation... the book has a following that is a made up of a shocking cross section of society. Yes there are those who are avid fantasy readers... but I am shocked at its appeal to those who would never have thought of picking up a book about wizards, and witches and magic before this one.

4. The people waiting for the book were really polite and accepting. There were around 1500 people crammed into B& N that night.... that is a lot of people friends. Literally wall to wall on the first floor, and yet people were polite and considerate and excited to reach out to other Potter followers. I spend much of my time talking to Caroline, a local High school student who was in line behind me. The line for Book 7 provided an opportunity for me to realize that she knows my sister johanna, that she wants to be a biologist... that one day she really just wants to make a difference in the world and even considered joining peace corp. I was able to talk to her about my recent trip to mexico to build houses for poor people... What is amazing about this is that at church, I seldom have conversations with people that I do not know in the hallways about anything of meaning... and I am often trampled by the flood of people in a hurry to leave after the service... Its not that they are being rude, its that something about this phenomenon of HP has so captured peoples imaginations that they feel connected in a real way with others who are into it. The extend automatic acceptance to strangers seen carrying the book.


So... yeah... I would love to have help decoding these observation... and I would love to here some of yours as well.

Really amazing Guitar Player

So a couple of years ago I ran into the "Wandering Endorphin" Playing guitar in downtown chicago. I had never see someone who could play a guitar like he did. He was really amazing... He sounds like a whole band, but is just one guy.

Check out the youtube link below if you are interested in seeing him at work.

Steve Jobs on Student Ministry

Ok... so I found this on a cool student ministry site... but I love His Steveness... so here it is:

To love is to serve. (Rough draft)

I think my favorite part of going on missions trips is the simplicity of life that you are allowed to live while on the trip. When I am at home, there are hundreds... maybe thousands of details in my life that must be managed daily. When I am in mexico building houses my whole day is measured and managed. Its limits are reasonable and the work is done at the end of the week. I think at home, I often am overwhelmed by how unmanageable and consuming "real" life is. Much of this is choice, but it doesn't feel like it. It feels like I have to live this way when I am hear. I have not doubt that if I moved to Mexico I would fill my life with just as much busyness...
Along the same line of thinking, I think that ministry in the states is much more complicated than in other places. Mission Discovery has a slogan that "To love is to serve." I think it is true. Often here we over-spiritualize what it means to be a "good christian." We make it into something that is mostly about certain rituals that I am to fulfill while not sinning. This dual concept of ritual and sin-free behavior seems somehow foreign to Jesus own passionate involvement in the life of the poor and needy. It is almost like we have substituted moral living as the highest expression of faith, when really, as destructive as immoral living can be, morality alone never helped the poor, or the widows, or the orphans, or loved a neighbor.
While Jesus certainly came to free us from sin, James is not missing the point when he writes that true religion is to care for orphans and widows. He is also right that faith without works is dead... as is the great concern for morality without and equal concern for the justice and well-being of others.
I grew up in a church that was really legalistic in many ways. I think this caused me to focus more on where I was failing, instead of choosing to serve others even though I am, and always will be flawed. When I serve I feel really good about my relationship with God. Better than a thousand quiet times... better than after ten thousand bible studies... better than after a week without a single swearword... I am not sure what this means... except maybe that true religion is about what we do... not about what we don't do.


This is a video I made to remind the Mexico team of what we saw this week.

Tecate Mexico with 50+ Middle school students!

Hey, I have been real busy lately, but this week I am in Tecate Mexico Building houses with a team of Middle school students.

If you are interested you can read about it here

or you can look at picture of the trip here


We will be back on the 14th of July.