ON EQUALITY: A RAMBLING DECLARATION OF HOPE

The World is Waiting 

I have always loved traveling.

The world seems to me like an ethereal, strangely beautiful place, with mysteries waiting for me to discover and adventures waiting to be had. Nothing compares to the feeling as I step off a plane in a new place, my hands gripping my backpack straps, my glowing eyes betraying my tourist's heart. Art, philosophy, geography, architecture - every place has something new to share with me. The sweet-smelling breeze off a clear blue ocean, the majesty of a range of snow-capped mountains, the chill of dew on my face after a night spent outside, or the feel of a strangers breath on my neck as we press together in a crowded city - these are the feelings of freedom, of being breathlessly alone in such a big, big world. There is something so exciting to me about going, and I want to go everywhere.

If travel was free, you'd never be able to find me.

God has given me many opportunities to travel in my life. From family vacations to study trips abroad, I have been blessed to be able to cultivate my love of adventure. But one of the biggest things that draws me to a new place is the people.

People are struggling everywhere. And it is so interesting to me that through every culture, every kind of people, we are still the same, deep down. Under the surface, under all of the issues that divide us, we are all just people, each with a story, each trying to survive in this ethereal, strangely beautiful, cruel world. Part of the beauty of the world, part of its allure, is the darkness and brokenness that seeps into every part of life. Every country, every town, every person has it's own darkness, from east to west, from third-world to first-world. The world is cursed, and the more I travel, the more obvious it becomes.

Beauty in Darkness

The darkness of the world is not beautiful in and of itself. A solid black canvas is not art. A book with ink splattered all over it's pages is unreadable. The cruelty of our beloved earth is only beautiful because of what comes out of it. For example, I think that World War II was a very interesting, beautiful era - not because of the horrors that happened during that time, but because of the hope that came out of it. Countries came together, families were united in love and grief and trial. This happens all over the world. People find hope in hard times. It's miraculous.

Literally.

I'm not trying to make light of suffering. There is suffering in this world that is indescribable, and I pray for the people who have to go through that to find strength in Christ. And when they do, I see a beauty that is incomparable.

It is times like this that unite all of us. There is a depth to human beings that goes beyond gender, beyond race, and that uniting chord is a complex term simply referred to as humanity.

Our humanity.

Before the curse of this world, before this world was evil and cruel, we were created to be relational. We come together because we need to, because we cannot survive without each other.

Togetherness 

What is equality? 

Equality, simply defined, is "the state of being equal". People today take that to mean "the state of being treated equal". We are different. We shouldn't treat everyone exactly the same. That would kill all sense of originality, of art, of creativity, of differentiating between good and bad, right and wrong. There is nothing wrong with treating each other differently. But we have to treat people with fairness and kindness. 

The beauty of the world can only be found when people lay aside their differences and choose to love one another, as Christ loves us. "For God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11)" and we should not presume to, either. Partiality is a symptom of arrogance. Racism is a symptom of arrogance. Disrespecting the opposite gender is a symptom of arrogance. 

And arrogance is a symptom of being lost. 

I am tired of people marching for causes and being violent towards police officers. I am tired of kids walking out of schools in protest but continuing to disrespect their teachers, their parents, their friends. I am tired of people who fight for equality without knowing what it is, who go back to their lives with the proud feeling of having done "some good" but never intending to make a true life change. 

Change starts with us. We can't change the world if we don't change ourselves first. And the only way we can do that is to entrust our lives to the Holy Spirit, because alone, we will always, always, end up right back in the same place. Right back in the darkness, reading a book with ink splattered all over it that means nothing to us. 

Change starts with us. 

But change is only made possible through Christ. 

If you don't believe that, you are trusting in an empty hope. That's like trying to fly across the world using a helium ballon. Eventually, it's going to break, and the shreds of your hope will come crashing down around you. 

No Partiality 

Behind this struggle for equality is the real problem, the problem of sin. No matter how many people march on Washington, no matter how many kids walk out of schools, no matter how many bloggers write about their views on the issue, we will not be able to truly fix the problem without God's help. We think so highly of ourselves, humans. Pride is a worldwide trait. But we can't fix everything. We can hardly fix anything, really. 

When I look at the world, in all of its beautiful darkness, I can't help but dream about the day when Christ will unify everything and everyone, when he will create a new earth, in which the sickness and depravity and cruelty that we see today will be an all-but-forgotten thought in the annals of our history. Maybe we won't even remember it. But for now, we struggle. We struggle for equality. We struggle for peace. We struggle for hope. 

SEEKING THE GREAT PERHAPS - John Green Simple Book Review

LOOKING FOR ALASKA

John Green, Harper Collins UK, ISBN 975-0-00-752316-0

"If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane." 

For Miles Halter, life has been nothing. Not exciting or boring exactly, simply one big non-event. But when he transfers to a small boarding school in Alabama, he meets the extraordinary, cynical, clever, "deeply unhappy" Alaska Young, and is drawn into her reckless world, stealing his heart and changing him into a different person. For Miles, nothing will ever be the same again. 

I didn't used to think I was a fan of John Green. Sure, I liked the cliched Fault in our Stars - it was an interesting read and, of course, a cute movie - but I thought that he tried much too hard to be philosophical. I understand this view is controversial in the teen-readers circle, so in order to redeem myself, I will admit that Looking for Alaska totally changed my mind about this author. John Green has written a beautiful image of a girl who has been irrevocably damaged and a boy who is searching for the meaning of life. 

There is truth in the way depression, post-traumatic stress, and grief are portrayed, and the philosophical concepts are pertinent, from Mile's search for A Great Perhaps to Alaska's obsession with
a quote from Simon Bolivar: "How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?" The story itself is relatively simple, but the metaphors are deep and beautiful, and that is an interesting, wonderful paradox. If John Green missed the mark with The Fault in our Stars,  he hit the bullseye twice over with Looking for Alaska.

 MY THOUGHTS

The main characters were well rounded and, though not entirely credible, were highly realistic. This is one of the most impressive improvements of Looking for Alaska over The Fault in our Stars.  In TFIOS, while Augustus Waters was a very good character, Hazel Grace Lancaster felt flat and unreliable, and most of her defining attributes made her annoying to readers. In contrast, Miles Halter, the realistically quiet, shy new kid, and Alaska Young, the passionate, hurting, impulsive prankster, felt like real people that I have just spent the past year and a half with (even though the book only took me a day and a half to finish). 

In addition to the realism of the characters, the storyline and their emotions in correspondence to it were relatable to everyone. I particularly related to Miles in his search for "A Great Perhaps" - in that I maybe am searching for something in my life as well. I think that we all are. And we all have felt the loneliness of coming to a new place, the familiarity that grows with making new friends, and the grief of losing one of those friends to reasons we do not understand. The book portrays life, and it is ugly and beautiful in equal parts. 

Something must be said, as well, for the depth of thought that was put into the storyline, albeit simple. To put it in layman's terms: "It really makes you think." It is not really a love story, although I believe it would be classified as one. It is a story of life and it's complexities, including, but not limited to, the emotions we call "love" and "hate" and "grief" and so many, many others.

All in all, this was a wonderful reflection of the loves and hurts of young adult life and the intellectualism held by many teens that is taken for granted in our culture today. Not only is it realistic, but it is witty, intelligent, and heartbreaking. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading clever stories that will get "in the feels", as they say. If you are looking yourself for that Great Perhaps, the Maybes and What-If-I's of life, then perhaps Miles, Alaska and the other characters can help you along your journey as well. 

FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE 

From a Christian perspective...I would still recommend this book. Part of it follows Miles as he searches for his own beliefs about life after death, and, though he ultimately concludes something slightly vague, is a beginning to the search for true and ultimate meaning: ie. a life lived for Jesus, the Messiah. And while there is nothing in the story to suggest that there is truth to the claims of Christianity, there is nothing to suggest that Christian beliefs are not true. 

However, the characters obviously do not care about living like Christians, so if that is an issue, you might want to steer clear. But if you can look past the fact that this book is about teenagers sneaking off campus to play harmless pranks, smoke and get drunk, then I would definitely read this book. There is something to be said for a writer who can write a story about teenagers being teenagers and still instill it with truth about humanity. So, regardless of your beliefs, I give Looking for Alaska a big thumbs up. 

QUOTES 

"When you stopped wishing things wouldn't fall apart, you'd stop suffering when they did." 

"She loved mysteries so much that she became one." 

"I may die young, but at least I'll die smart." 

"The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive." 

"'Thomas Edison's last words were, 'It's very beautiful over there.' I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful." 

"I was born into Bolivar's labyrinth, and so I must believe in the hope of Rabelais' Great Perhaps."