For unto us...

So, I know I'm probably the last person - certainly the last 'cross-cultural worker' - to have read this book, but I just finished reading Peace Child by Don Richardson. I borrowed it from our neighbors, who are currently on home assignment in the US. It's the story of Don and his wife Carol's life with the Sawi people of New Guinea. It's incredibly gripping, and very, VERY well-written. (The first short section is like an ethnography of the Sawi people, in fact.)

The Sawi were an isolated, warlike, dangerous people, who practiced headhunting and cannibalism. Their language was extremely grammatically complex, with nineteen tenses, numerous ways to express mood (subjunctive, etc.), and an amazingly specific set of verbs to describe actions we might use one verb to describe, such as "open". Okay, all that sounds a little bit cliche, maybe, if you've read any missionary stories. But there was another facet of Sawi culture that made the Richardsons' work much more difficult: the people idealized treachery above all things. To "fatten with friendship" - to lull a friend into a false sense of security before betraying and murdering (and then eating) them - was the ultimate heroic act. Those Sawi who accomplished this in new or more shocking ways were those that went down in legends.

So when Mr. Richardson tried to communicate the gospel to these people, they listened with interest for the most part - but they decided Judas Iscariot was the hero of the story! But of course, since he performed the ultimate act of betrayal.

Here's where the redemptive analogy comes in: the key concept that brings the gospel into the culture of the people in a way they will truly understand. I'm not going to explain it all here; you should read the book if you haven't already. Let me just say, I happened to be listening to Fernando Ortega's beautiful instrumental version of "Of the Father's Love Begotten" while I read the climactic scene about the Peace Child. Cue tears. (I don't normally listen to Christmas music before December, but it's on the CD with other hymns and it's too gorgeous of a track to skip.) Amazing, breathtakingly perfect soundtrack.

Redemptive analogies: the Lamb, the Word, the Peace Child. I love reading stories about them.

In memory of Anne McCaffrey, queen of the dragons and titan of sci-fi

As a teenager, I read every single one of your Dragonriders of Pern books - many of them probably more than ten times. I loved the Acorna series, The Ship Who Sang and much of the Talents series, and just last year I read Decision at Doona for the first time.

I loved the worlds you built, the characters you developed, and your wonderful imagination.

You made my life richer with what you wrote, and your talent will be missed. Even if I were a Harper, I don't know how I could possibly distill your brilliance and your legacy into a song in your memory. So I will just keep reading your books, and pass them along to those who haven't read them.

The dragons are massing in the skies of Pern today.

Get up, take heart--go, make a start,
sing out the truth you came for.
Then when you die, your heart may fly
to halls we have no name for.
--All The Weyrs of Pern

"The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well."

In case you don't recognize it, those are the last two sentences in the last book in the Harry Potter series. And while I have a few issues with the epilogue that concludes the series, I thought it made a fitting title for this blog post, which coincides with the release of the final Harry Potter movie. Much has been made of how the beloved saga is finally coming to an end, and so it is, in that there is no more new HP material being released (as far as we know, other than JK Rowling's new website for fans, Pottermore). But in other ways, of course, it's not like the ending of the books and the movies means that we can't go back to read or watch them whenever we want. To paraphrase Neville in the last movie, even after it's all over, Harry & the others are still always with us. [/sappy]

Even as I say that and mean it, though, it does feel like a significant chapter of my childhood has ended. How could it not? I'm far from the only young adult who "grew up with Harry" and his friends, but that doesn't make it less true. Some of us weren't even big fans of reading or fantasy or magic before Harry came along (I was, but I know many, many people who weren't). We are the generation who read the first few books before they were bestsellers, back in elementary school or middle school/junior high, and then waited in breathless anticipation for each new book to be published. We were the ones who were sent into rapturous excitement when we heard about the movies, and would stop everything we were doing to watch the trailer for The Sorcerer's Stone when it happened to be played on TV. Okay, maybe not all of us would hear that distinctive John Williams theme playing and run downstairs just to watch whatever trailer or ad was featuring it, but my sister and I sure did. Even now, when I listen to the soundtrack to the first movie, "Hedwig's Theme" especially has the power to give me chills. Kids who start reading the books now won't have the torture of waiting years for each new installment. Instead, they can just check out or buy all of them at once, if they so choose. In exchange, however, they lose the sheer joy of knowing that the mailman is going to be delivering an all-new copy of the newest book to your door on the release date, or hurrying out to the nearest bookstore to pick up your copy.

I loved many books before I loved Harry Potter. I know I will love many more in the future. But Harry has a special place in my heart, and always will. Now that I've seen the final movie (a detailed review later, perhaps), I do feel some sadness at the end of that phase of my childhood. JK Rowling, you have given us a great gift, and we are more grateful for it than words can express. And Daniel Radcliffe & co., you have also given us a gift. Thank you.

Mischief managed.