During my workout this morning, it’s the time of day the holy spirit speaks most profoundly (hear loudly) into my life, I read a dear friend’s concern on FB about how she was not happy that her 5th grade son’s teacher was reading to the class from the Hunger Games and I began to listen as my head and heart began to think through…
My 11 year old daughter is an avid reader. When I say avid, I mean she is ALWAYS reading multiple books at once. She most certainly takes after her daddy (and her aunt Danette so I tell her). She began a few months ago asking that I read this new series she just finished called The Hunger Games. My dad has been known to say: “I don’t do much, but what I do is quality.” Those words ring in my head every time I try to take on a new home improvement project (but that’s a different day’s entry). My response was akin to my daddy’s famous words, only with my own special tweak: “I don’t read much, but what I do is quality.” Reagan knows that I don’t read books for recreation often. I read my bible every day. She accepts that and forgives my (so unlike hers) lack of desire to make time for anything I can’t use. After encouragement from my hubby “you could use this as a way to connect with her ya know?” He’s an avid reader, remember – he read the series before Reagan so they were BOTH a step ahead of me and putting on the full court press! So I read it.
I thought the book was good. No swearing, no sex, good action, easy read. But, the way I had hoped it would connect Reagan and I is the voice that’s loud in my head today. I read slow, much slower than she and Scott. Because, I get hung up on things like: (spoiler alert) Katniss’ rummaging through the trash to feed her family because the divide between the haves and the have nots is so big my heart breaks. The way that kids (and adults) live in fear of helping one another for fear of being beaten or worse, killed. The way that Haymitch lives life in a drunken stupor because he has (or feels that he has) nothing to live for but the bottle. And worst of all, the haze that Prim and Katniss’ mother lives in because she has suffered the loss of her husband and the pain is more than she can bear.
I sat one night choking back tears of emotion as I discussed just the first few chapters with Reagan. “Do you know how different these people’s lives would be if they met Jesus? Do you think Haymitch knows he doesn’t have to drink? Do you think Katniss’ mother could find hope in the Word the same way we do?” The childlike response came through as she responded – “mom, it’s a fiction book, these characters are not real.”
She was right; it’s not real but, back to the FB post from my friend… I wonder, did her child’s teacher read to her class from this fictional novel today with the hopes of teaching them that the best way to deal with conflict is to instill fear in those less fortunate? Was she trying to frighten the 10 and 11 year old students into thinking that it’s ok to fight to the death as entertainment for the Capitol leaders portrayed in the series? Or is it possible that she was hoping the hunger games would disgust them. Whether the teacher’s own spiritual beliefs are similar or not to my own, was she was hoping to teach those kids about the opportunity to instill change (gasp! to love?!). That it’s not too late to change who we are, as humans. We were created in God’s image. I know we are not living in district segregated Panem. But we are living in a society that is broken. There ARE people drinking themselves to death. There are mothers who have given up because they are overwhelmed by raising kids alone. There are people in leadership positions right now that are taking advantage of and/or judging the least of these instead of coming alongside and loving them.
I encourage you parents, grandparents, kids, friends, read this book. Have the conversations with the kids in your life. Decide where you stand and use this as a tool. As Christ followers, we are called to be in this world, not of it. We live here, but our citizenship is in heaven. This place is only temporary. While here, we are to use the resources given to us to further the kingdom. Those resources are unlimited. Today, I think I’m going to use the Hunger Games.
Looking for reading from the “other” book I spend my time in? Read Acts 17 and see how Paul used the alter to the unknown god to teach idol worshipers who the one true God is. Resources people, we are surrounded J
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