So, this post isn't going to probably matter to you if you don't enjoy reading, if you don't enjoy reading classics that have been around for a while (I am of the opinion all classics aren't good -- there are a whole bunch of them that are boring and that aren't worth your time if you can't get into them after a chapter or two...but that is Jane's irreverent belief). But if you still want to read, read away on Jane's rant of ways today's society messes up the past by looking at it with cynical eyes.
First, I am a huge fan of Lewis Carroll. And I get mad when people accuse him of being a pedophile. Why do they do this? Because he liked to hang out with his friend's children. He would have tea parties with them and tell them stories (that is where the books of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass were born). And he was also a photographer of children. And yes, some of those photos look odd to us. But often Charles L. Dodgson (Lewis Carroll's real name) was asked by parents to photograph their children. Children in their time were seen as wholly innocent -- any photographs of them, even if they wore little clothing, was to showcase their innocence from God. Here is a quote of how Dodgson viewed children. He wrote in a letter to a friend named Gaynor, "For I think a child's first attitude to the world is a simple love for all things. And he will have learned that the best work a man can do is when he works for love's sake only, with no thought of fame or gain or earthly reward. No deed of ours, I suppose, on this side of the grave, is really unselfish. Yet if one can put forth all one's powers in a task where nothing of reward is hoped for but a little child's whispered thanks...one seems to come somewhere near to this." Alexander Woollcott, who knew Dodgson personally describes him as "a puttering, fussy, fastidious, didactic bachelor, who was almost painfully humourless in his relations with the grownup world around him." He also writes that Dodgson "was the kind of man who gravely stipulated that no illustrations for a book of his be drawn on Sunday." Woollcott also says that Dodgson never liked to "see together' Rev. Charles L. Dodgson (himself) and "the immortal Lewis Carroll." He was not a pedophile. He was an awkward man who was able to talk to children but not to grownups. I totally understand that. There are often times I am way too much personality, too loud, too much impulsiveness for grownups, but kids love it. I love being with my grandson. We have so much fun together being crazy. That isn't exactly like Dodgson, but I know how it is to prefer sometimes to be with children rather than adults. My second person to bring up is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ -- I read a writer say in an interview, "Of course Jesus and Mary Magdalene had sex." NO THEY DIDN'T! This is the problem. We are so sex obsessed in our culture we think all cultures past were the same way. Jesus stuck to the law -- he would never have had sex outside marriage. He wasn't married to Mary Magdalene -- if that was in the plan when he was hanging on the cross, he would have addressed his wife! His mission wasn't to have children and a wife. His mission was to save souls. And another thing -- we have no idea what Mary Magdalene was like. She is always portrayed as a beautiful, young woman. Scripture never says she was a beautiful, young woman. She is only said to have had several demons cast out of her. She could have been in her 40s, even 50s. She could have been odl and ugly. Having lived with demon possession she very likely was not beautiful. Scripture does not say she was a prostitute. She was healed from demon possession and wholly devoted to Jesus Christ after that. When is our society going to quit sexualizing everything? Life isn't meant to be focused on sex. Sex is an activity reserved for marriage -- that is it. If it is done outside marriage, you are outside of God's will. It is a sin. Now for my last beef -- William Shakespeare. My son and I call him our friend Will. We have read most of his plays except for all the history ones. We have read a lot of the history ones, but most of them are filled with wars and usurping of titles and they are not as much fun to read as the comedies and the tragedies. We have also read his sonnets -- where the discussion lies. People say these sonnets prove he had an affair. Many say these also say he was a homosexual. Okay, so no one knows for sure, but society quickly jumps on the homosexual affair bent because it legitimizes so much of our own depravity. By saying this is the way a master of old was it says we are okay doing the things we are doing. Why not give the man the benefit of the doubt? He was a playwright. Of course he had to live in London to make a living. His wife didn't want to live in London (probably because of the children and also plague was rampant many years there). He came home when he could. He cared for his family financially and was there when they needed him. The sonnets appear to be written to a young man. My take on them (giving Will the benefit of the doubt because he was a devoted family man and he was also way too busy to get caught up in affairs -- he was very respectable and was conscious of keeping the Shakespeare name respectable because the career he chose was not at the time seen as respectable) was that he had a man-crush on one of the young actors he was teaching/mentoring while directing him in his plays. He had an group of actors under him that he wrote his plays for. They would be acted in The Globe. They put on plays weekly so his life was writing the plays. Then giving them to the actors to memorize and practice and then put on. They kept a series of plays on hand to perform when the need arose. The young boys (before their voices changed) played female parts. Women weren't allowed on the stage then. These sonnets could have been written after his son Hamnet died. Possibly the young actor he grew quite emotionally attached to. Maybe this actor reminded him of his son. And in his grief he invested a lot of himself in the young man. Then the young man no longer needed this old guy helping him so he moved on. Will didn't becauuse his feelings for the boy were wrapped up in the grief he carried for his son Hamnet. Think on it. I am not saying this is the truth, but it could be. He was possibly very lonely for his family while in London. Why again do we sexualize the lives of people who have long been dead? They were required to attend church. They heard the scriptures. William Shakespeare incorporated much scripture in his writings. He lived a disciplined life. Okay, so if you have read this long, thanks! Only God knows why I got on this rant today. Give people the benefit of the doubt. The men I spoke about were all devoted to Christ (well, Christ Jesus is Jesus and devoted to the Father -- you know -- the Triune God). If you make your way to this website, you know I no longer regularly post. I think to myself -- there are all sorts of good stuff already out there. I don't need to add my voice too. Yet, all our voices are important and maybe that is part of the problem of our society. Only a few speak out. And it is their voices that get heard (that being said, please peruse my past blog posts. There are a whole lot of good ones. And feel free to contact me anytime you like. Click here). After decades I've given up my coffee habit (really dark, strong coffee -- probably a pot a day). Not saying I won't drink coffee anymore, but primarily it will be decaf. My kidneys just couldn't take it anymore. I gotta listen to this body God made me steward over. Lupus is kind of the one guiding our conversation right now. She puts limits on me, and if I fight her in a rebellious way this body pays the price. If you are still reading (and if you are, thank you. I hope it is worth your time) let me tell you about the summer we had. We started the Lantry Farmer's Market Saturday mornings. I wouldn't say it was a huge success according to world standards, but God used it for his purposes. I made more pies than I have ever made in my life. I met some neighbors I hadn't talked with before. Got reacquainted with others. Took part in and saw some good conversation, good community moments happening. That is what it was about. Never got to sell any produce except a few radishes. Due to the drought (I guess) most all of my plants (and they are many and beautiful) blossomed but never produced fruit. It sure didn't go according to my plan at all. Yet, in gardening (and in life) when we learn from what we experienced we gain much. Two things that went really well: propagating geraniums and keeping my bird bath full. Also, my rooster Ernie quit seeing me as the enemy and sees me now as a friend (this was really good because he had attacked me twice and drew blood both times -- I had to carry a stick every time I fed the chickens or checked for eggs). You have noticed the title of this post: Flowers in a Blue Pot. Here is the picture of that painting: It is for sale. It is acrylic and mixed media on canvas. About 20 inches by 20 inches. With this Lupus flaring I find such joy in painting. I find joy in painting all the time, but my life doesn't allow me to paint as often as I would like. Yet, I am thankful for this. I have presently 7 more canvases this size I intend to paint. Okay, I am harping, but you really need a creative outlet -- some activity you can lose yourself in and just enjoy the moment. I can't tell you what your outlet should be, but there is at least one out there for you. Anything that takes creative thinking. It needs to be something you enjoy. It needs to be something you get lost in. These "get lost in" moments are like living in eternity. I think they are the closest thing to living outside of time we can get to on this earth. God made you in his image, and the first thing we learn about God in the Bible is that he is Creator. That means to be who God called you to be, to feel fulfillment in this life, you need to create. Seriously, this is crucial for your mental and emotional health. Last year one of the main things I did was write poetry. I've written a few poems this year, but it no longer is there really. It was for 2021, to help me deal with things that life threw at me. It was one of the main things God used to heal me and help me see things from his perspective (and if you want to read those poems you can buy a copy here. The paperback is only $3.58. I share this not because I will make money on it. Just because it might bless you. I do get a royalty payment for each book though. It might be 25 cents per book).
And if you are still reading (thank you!! I do love to write) I urge you to read Revelation. It is full of incredible imagery and prophecy and poetry. It is definitely not boring. And you don't have to understand it to read it. You need to let it soak into your soul though. You need to know it so when things happen you will say, "That is what God meant!" If anyone says they know what Revelation means for sure, they are wrong. When you read scripture and don't understand you can ask God and he will help you see what he wants you to see. James 1:5 says, "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God -- who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly -- and it will be given to him." That is a promise. The Word works in us from the inside out. It works in the hidden unseen realm which as it works will develop fruit in your life. What is the fruit it will produce in you? According to Galatians 5:22 the fruit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Who doesn't want more of all that? Please pick up a Bible and read it. Really. This will help you in these days of craziness. And it is just going to get crazier. I want to share one more passage of scripture with you. If you read it and read it again, you might see that it describes our world today. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 says, "But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people." I'd love to hear from you. If you want to talk about creative stuff or Jesus or the Bible or mental health or whatever, just click on the link I shared above or post a comment. I'lll see it and respond. I can also recommend a whole lot of good books if you need a book to read. God bless you and guard what God has entrusted to you. Be a good steward. Amen! Signing off. Jane |
Who is Jane Hinrichs?Jane is a wife, a mom, a writer, an artist, a lover of the Word of God. She has been studying the Bible since 1987 and has been writing about it almost since then. She loves to hear from her readers. Email her at: Categories
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