RE:think

Robert Jordan is Gone

I don't imagine I have many fantasy fiction readers here reading my blog. But I had to post about one of my favorite authors, Robert Jordan. He passed away yesterday after long battle with a chronic blood illness.

Robert Jordan is the pen of James Oliver Rigney Jr. Writing under the name Jordan, he is best known for his expansive Wheel of Time series. My brother Rob got me into the books and I quickly ran through the first 10 of his 800+ page books. The 11th was released shortly after and I snapped it up. The series wasn't finished and he was working on book 12 during the last couple of years or so.

While the selfish part of me is very sad that we may never know how it ends, I am also sad that an author who seemed to genuinely love his fans has passed. He did seem like a very kind man.

I loved the Lord of Rings books and Jordan carried the torch of the mammoth fantasy story well. I am very sad to hear he's gone.

Pray for his family and his fans. He will be missed greatly. Here is what his cousin posted to his blog:

It is with great sadness that I tell you that the Dragon is gone. RJ left us today at 2:45 PM. He fought a valiant fight against this most horrid disease. In the end, he left peacefully and in no pain. In the years he had fought this, he taught me much about living and about facing death. He never waivered in his faith, nor questioned our God’s timing. I could not possibly be more proud of anyone. I am eternally grateful for the time that I had with him on this earth and look forward to our reunion, though as I told him this afternoon, not yet. I love you bubba.

Our beloved Harriet was at his side through the entire fight and to the end. The last words from his mouth were to tell her that he loved her.

Thank each and everyone of you for your prayers and support through this ordeal. He knew you were there. Harriet reminded him today that she was very proud of the many lives he had touched through his work. We’ve all felt the love that you’ve been sending my brother/cousin. Please keep it coming as our Harriet could use the support.

Jason will be posting funeral arrangements.

My sincerest thanks.

Peace and Light be with each of you,

Wilson
Brother/Cousin
4th of 3

To Catalyst: Never, never loose faith. RJ did not. Harriet hasn’t. I haven’t. Going through what we have, our faith is only strengthened. Besides, if God didn’t exist, we would have never had Jim. We did. God does. Remember my Brother/Cousin, my friend, think of him fondly and glorify God’s name.

Technorati Tags: Robert Jordan, Wheel of Time

DailyLit, Novels in Your Email

Now this is just too cool. Chunks of novels everyday, in your inbox...

Link: DailyLit

Mr. Lehaye, huh?

What does this quote mean exactly?

We (as opposed to liberal theologians) believe that the Bible should be understood literally whenever possible.

I don't understand this at all. Whenever possible? Care to clue me in to when it's not and how you differentiate? Quotes like this just bug me. So sometimes it's literal, but sometimes it's not. Hmph. That's interesting.
Q&A: Are These the End Times? - Newsweek Mideast Crisis - MSNBC.com
Speaking of Lehaye and Left Behind, have ya seen this? It's a weak defense to the violence in the Left Behind video game that is coming next year. When I read it, it made me laugh out loud, seriously. You aren't actually doing the killing. It's a strategy game so the little dudes on the screen are acting on your commands. So there is no first person violence. Here is how they say it:

Because our game is a ‘strategy' game, never does a player click a key or press a button to actuate a first-person violent act. Instead, control is managed by the player in much the same way as an animated chess game would be when pieces fight for position, except that in ‘real-time' strategy games, many pieces fight for position at the same time.

Kill is kill though, right? Dead is dead, right? Just because pressing the space bar doesn't directly result in death makes it nonviolent? Here is an ABC story that is posted at the Left Behind game site. Apparently the difference between killing someone and saving a soul is 3 points. Wow.

Tags: Tim Lehaye, Left Behind, Video Games

The Da Richie Code

The Da Vinci Code opens across the country today and I told you I would give my take on the whole thing. And here it goes...

There have been protests already. Folks see it as a conspiracy to harm the church and deceive us all. And that could be the intent. But it's nothing new. Deception is always around the next corner. Every falsehood in this book has been argued before through books from the 80's all the way back to the gnostic gospels of the first few centuries after Christ. The difference here is that 40 million people didn't read about them all at once.

Churches all across American have spent tons of money on DVD's, books, and the like to make sure everyone knows the book is fiction. I say that was plainly obvious early on. Whether Dan Brown believes his claims or not, he has made a lot of money from the controversy. Heck, many Christians have made a buck already from the book selling their competing wares. Not all of them have, but many. And all for a book of FICTION. There are plenty of non-Christian resources out there refuting the ideas presented in the book. The History Channel has had many shows that blow up its claims.  Even extremely liberal MTV movie reviewer Kurt Loder says:

This vivid tale, set forth in a 1982 book called "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," has been demonstrated, quite conclusively, to be hogwash.

It's a poolside page turner and as those go, this one is pretty good. It's not high lit by any means, but that isn't the point. The point is entertainment (and Dan Brown's bank account). Thus far, the reviews of the movie are saying it doesn't translate well to film. For the most part, they have trashed it. So, the media doesn't seem to be in on the conspiracy (although many have claimed they are). If they were, you'd think they'd praise the film so more people would go to see it.

The worries that most Christians have are twofold. First, many believers are afraid that other believers will be duped and question their faith. Jesus himself said that not even the gates of hell could prevail against his Church and I think he will be faithful to that statement. So we can take that to heart and not worry quite so much about it. When reading the book I never once questioned my faith, church history, or Jesus.

The other worry is that those seeking God will be misled by the movie. I go back to the Bible and my understanding of it and know that the real reason these folks are led astray is not some book of fiction written by Dan Brown. On the contrary, it may be that this book sends someone to a believer to ask questions and allows the truth to be heard and this may be one of the steps that eventually lead to belief.

It's fine to be concerned. The truth is paramount. There are many folks who would like to twist it and turn it and make it what they want it to be. We have to be ready and wiling to expose lies for what they are. And there ARE people who believe the book to be true. That's a problem. But let's live in the tension between that and the fact that God is big enough to overcome this. To leave him and his power out of the equation turns us into "twisters and turners" ourselves. Because anytime he is relegated to the sidelines, we usually end up defining him and our faith on our own terms. (Raise your hand with me if you've ever done this.)

Men Pause Women Talk

A couple of years back Evette and I gave our love story in seperate parts for a book. Well, the book finally made it's way out and we recieved our copy today. It was so weird reading my story and then Evette's as translated by someone else. Ren did a wonderful job. It's a neat book and at 10 bucks, it's a steal. If you like such things, I've included a link to it at Amazon.

Amazon.com: Men Pause Women Talk: Couples Spiritual Connections

Pro Harry Potter from Imonk

Here is a very good Potter apologetic piece (say that really fast 10 times) from the english chair of a Christian school. One of the better points made here is that the original criticism came from many who hadn't even read the books. From there we all know how this thing snowballed out of control. I also like the comparisons he makes to other works that are 'OK' in eyes of most Christians. Check it out...

...link: internetmonk.com Pro Harry Potter

Technorati Tags: Harry Potter, books

Anne Rice... Writing for the Lord

This is interesting. No more bloodsucker novels...

Link: The Gospel According to Anne - Newsweek Entertainment - MSNBC.com.

the jesus i never knew

I'm not one to give long and in depth reviews of books. For me to look back and view a book as being worth reading it has to live up to three criteria for me.

1. It has to teach me something.

2. It has to move me on some level.

3. I have to want to tell other people that they really need to read it.

I finished The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey a couple of days ago. This book fit all three for me. It was definately worth reading.

What did it teach me? It tought me that the Jesus I knew growing up and even the one that I thought I was coming to know is incomplete. The refreshing part was that I got the feeling that Yancey himself sees himself on a journey that is not finished. He doesn't not come across as having all the answers, but as someone genuinely seeking them and glad to share as he learns.

How was I moved? I was moved in the way his love of Jesus shines throughout the entire book. I was moved by the stories he relayed from history and the quotes from others that ranged from C.S. Lewis to Tolstoy. He used these stories and quotes to show Jesus in contexts that I never I saw him in before but should have. That moves me.

Should you read this book? Yes. No matter where you are in your walk with Jesus, this book will give you a fresh, and I believe, biblical perspective.

So, there is the promised review. I am reading so many things at once right now it's crazy. But I think I am going to bear down on Blue Like Jazz next and follow that with The Jesus Creed.

catching up on the books many have already read

I used an Amazon.com gift certificate (Thanks Ern!) to buy a couple of books that I have seen read on so many emergent conversation blogs. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller and The Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight. I'm excited to finally get to read these. I should be finishing The Jesus I Never Knew today. Does Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan look out of place to anyone over there in my current reads? :)

I'll try to remember to let you all know what I thought of each...