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The Hunger Games has swept the nation, first via the popular book series, and now through the much-anticipated film! I resisted getting sucked into the hype at first -- thinking the craze was just another Twilight saga repackaged for the squealing delight of teen audiences and the chagrin of parents everywhere who secretly long for the "good old days" of the original Star Wars Trilogy (in best old-man voice..."Now, sonny, THAT was story tellin'!). But after a friend confessed that she had gotten hooked on the first book, she loaned it to me and I agreed to read it. It was a weak moment -- the biography of George Washington I had been reading, albeit excellent, was not offering me the much needed brain respite I needed at the end of a long day! So I began my decent into District 12!

While the book is definitely geared for teens, and does not offer the same literary meat as, say, "Lord of the Flies," it certainly kept me entertained and anticipating each page. The story is outrageously predictable, but keeps you wanting more (not unlike a box of hot Krispy Kreme donuts that you KNOW is really bad for you, but you can't stop eating them!). And, yes, after completing book #1, I am now hungrily (no pun intended) making my way through Catching Fire. Again, predictable plot, new dreamy eye candy for the girls (Finnick's ridiculous and strategically-tied rope costume should pack 'em into theaters!), but enough blood and guts to at least keep the boyfriends dragged along awake!

Back to Book #1. Katniss Everdeen, the teen aged heroine, is a survivor! She, her town (District 12), and what's left of her family (her father died in a mine explosion) live in the ominous shadow of the Capitol, the only area of the nation (formerly the US, now called Panem) which has ample supplies of food and any luxuries whatsoever. The Capitol inhabitants live a grotesquely hedonistic life (think Paris Hilton on steroids meets Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka)! The other 12 districts serve the Capitol and receive only meager sustenance for their labor. Once a year, the residents of Districts 1-12 are reminded of the "rebellion" against the Capitol which took place 75 years prior. To keep potentially unruly citizens in their place, the annual Hunger Games was created. Two young citizens (a male and a female) from each district are randomly drawn to compete to the gruesome death in an elaborate arena, an artificially created and contained ecosystem, which changes each year. Only one will survive, their district earning food and other rewards for a full year! Whee!

Katniss and fellow classmate, Peeta, find themselves in the Games! What ensues is a combination of Blade Runner, Survivor and Death Race 2000! One by one, the contestants pick each other off. In the end, naturally, both Katniss and Peeta are crowned co-winners, an unprecedented accomplishment, by threatening mutual suicide rather than killing the other. But along the way, readers/viewers are kept on their toes throughout the games. Katniss' father taught her how to hunt in the forbidden woods surrounding her district, so her prowess with a bow enables her to be a serious contender. Peeta, whose family owns a bakery, cannot rely on his cake decorating skills to help him ("Ow! The icing! It burns!"), but thankfully he has brains and outwits players by forming false alliances. He's also very good at concealing himself in mud (typical boy).

Each contestant must rely on their wits and skills to survive, but no matter how strong, talented, agile or clever, in the end, they all eventually find themselves at the end of their proverbial ropes and must depend on their sponsors to help them. Yes, like all good professional athletes, they have sponsors, individuals or businesses who send in gifts, such as food, water, medication or weapons to assist the contestant they are betting to win! A number of times just as Katniss is near death, a small silken parachute descends, containing something she needs to stay alive! Convenient! You feel sorry for the contestants (called tributes) who did not manage such good sponsors (Peeta: "Cool, I got a crossbow!" Katniss: "I got night vision goggles!" Charlie Brown: "I got a rock.").

This incredibly long, painful stream of consciousness regarding the Hunger Games is all to illustrate one simple, but profoundly important point in our lives. Have you ever looked at someone and thought, "Wow! That person is so strong!" Or, "That person has such a strong marriage!" Or, "That person's kids/job/house/ are so perfect!" Well, let me tell you. . . they're not! Even the seemingly strongest individual, marriage, family, job, etc. is weak. Painfully weak. If they appear strong, it is only because they have not encountered circumstances in life's arena that have shaken them to the core. A diagnosis. An unforeseen temptation. A tragedy. The loss of a child. An addiction. A betrayal. Abuse. They may make it through one unscathed, maybe more. But there is one out there that could bring them down. They just don't know it. The "sponsors" they have relied on along the way have helped! We all have different sponsors, some better than others! Family and friends are good choices. Alcohol, drugs, entertainment, money, sex, even optimism and positive thinking make lousy sponsors. In the end, even the best sponsors will eventually run out of resources, time, patience, or ability. Ultimately, there is only one advocate who can see us through everything we face in the "arena." Christ. And Him alone.  Unlike in the Hunger Games, we don't have to look good or perform well for Him to choose to sponsor us! And His little parachute drops day after day after day, containing the same thing each time, which is always exactly what we need! The gospel!

When No One is Watching

Some of you may know that we homeschool our kids. As their teacher, I am therefore keenly aware of their academic (and behavioral) performance on a daily basis. Once a week, however, they have an opportunity to be taught by someone else! We participate in a national academic program called Classical Conversations. One of their weekly requirements is to prepare and then deliver a presentation in front of their class.

This week's assignment was to narrate a Bible story, using props, visuals, etc. My 9 year old son chose the classic tale of David and Goliath. For his visual aid, after much encouragement from me to think it through and be creative, he hastily drew a crude cartoon on a small white board depicting 2 hills, a stick figure "Goliath" that resembled a stereotypical jungle head hunter, and "Philistines" fleeing a tumbling boulder down one side of the hill (I must have missed that in the original account!). I sighed. "OK, Matt" I said, "Are you ready to practice your presentation in front of me?" To say that his performance was less than well planned or orchestrated would be an understatement! After his disjointed story account, multiple verbal pauses ("Ummm.."), and haphazard visual aid references, I encouraged him to think it through more in his head, giving him pointers about how he might improve his story. I went to bed discouraged and thinking that his performance may be an awkward moment for all!

At Classical Conversations, I chose to spend the day in our daughter's classroom since I had been in our son's the prior week. I sent him off to his class and wished him luck! At the end of the day, I saw his tutor in the hallway and asked how his presentation had gone, sheepishly apologizing for Matt's lack of preparation. The tutor gave me a perplexed look and said, "What are you talking about? He did great!" I then learned that his story account was accurate (with events in the right order!), his use of the picture was amusing and well done, and his delivery was smooth and engaging! After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I thanked the tutor and walked away with a semi-dazed look on my face, but so thankful that my son's performance away from me had actually been better that his in-person attempt!

If you are a parent, you understand the pride which comes when you hear that your child has behaved (or in this case, performed) well when you were not watching! When another parent commends my child's behavior to me when I was not present, I feel so happy! It's easy to behave well when the rule-maker is watching, but how do we act, think, perform, when he or she is not? Christians can fall into the same trap -- behaving "well" when we are around other Christians, our spouse, etc. but then falling into "secret" sins behind closed doors, or when we are around non-believers. When thoughts and actions are godly when no one is looking, or when around others who would give us the liberty to abandon our faith, then we have made our heavenly Father smile indeed!

But isn't that what young David did when he fought Goliath? David was away from home, surrounded by non-believers -- Philistines on one side, and cowardly Israelites on the other! No one would have scoffed or thought twice if David had recoiled in fear from the giant as they had, abandoning their faith in adversity. Yet the instruction of his father, Jesse, did not leave David! His faith demonstrated away from his eartly father showed us all that he believed and adopted as his own, the faith taught by his father!

Keep Climbing!

My family and I were recently in the lovely mountains of North Carolina for Synod, our denomination's annual pastor's meeting which lasts 3 days. For the pastors and elders in attendance, those days are filled with meetings, committee updates, networking and assemblies. But for the spouses and kids, Synod is three days of fun! We wives get to reconnect with old friends around the pool, listen to inspirational speakers, play with our kids at the nearby lake, or drive into the lovely town of Hendersonville to stroll.

Now that my kids are past the age of 8, they also have the opportunity to attend a kids camp! "Campers" get to participate in crafts, nature walks, swimming, paddle boating, climbing wall, evening camp fires with s'mores, and the most coveted of all events -- the 40 ft. high zip line! Brave participants gear up with harnesses and helmets and ascend to a tiny platform for the big leap which sends them soaring nearly 200 feet! The climb up the pole begins easily, like any standard ladder, but about 2/3 of the way up, they must abandon the familiar rungs, twist slightly around the pole and ascend the remaining height via large metal "staples" not unlike those a utility worker might use. It is at this transition point that some kids decide the climb is not worth it, abandon their visions of Peter Pan, and climb down, sometimes in tears.

This year was no exception. One little boy, in particular (I'll call him "Johnny"), remained "stuck" at the transition point for nearly 20 minutes while patient instructors attempted to encourge him to either let go and be lowered down, or go for it, and keep climbing! Besides the promise of an amazing ride, he was reminded that the harness and belay held him firmly, and the instructor would not let him fall! After many tears and several failed attempts to go either up or down, Johnny finally determined to press on! Mustering all of his 8 year old courage, he listened carefully to the instructor's directions about exactly where to place his feet, when and where to reach, etc, and in a few short moments, he was at the platform and ready to zip at last! After another agonizing 10 minutes of encouragement from the platform instructor, he finally let go and slid from the platform for his epic flight over the heads of the much relieved bystanders and waiting kids below! Once on terra firma again, Johnny practically danced back to the pole, beaming with delight, shouting, "This is the best day of my life!!" High fives were exchanged, cheers and whoops were shared, and Johnny glowed with pride (and relief)!

I thought about little Johnny today and about my walk with Christ. I often feel like he did, at a transition point where the familiar and safe path gives way to the unfamiliar and risky. How tempting it is sometimes to just say, "I can't do it!" and abandon the journey. But then, what soaring experiences would I miss? And besides, like Johnny, I'm harnessed! God will not let me go! He is in total control, but wants me to keep climbing! Next time I'm at one of those places in my life, I'm going to remember that zip line and hope that I too can muster the courage to press on!

Shaky Ground

Jesus affirmed that we would have troubles in this life, but He very simply countered that reality with the overwhelmingly powerful truth that He has overcome the world! How strange it must have been for the disciples to hear such a statement from a man! Jesus, this humble teacher? Yes, they had seen Him perform miracles, but "overcome the world?!" Really? When the tsunamis of life hit our shores personally, such talk almost seems laughable! When our world has been turned upside down from loss, divorce, betrayal, illness, crime. . . can this simple statement from our Savior really give us what we long for -- peace, comfort, healing, victory?!

It is easy to say, "yes" when we are standing on calm ground. It was easy for Peter to declare boldly that he would never betray Jesus! But how quickly his confidence and bravery fled in the face of the slightest persecution! We have a huge advantage over Peter, who did not yet understand the cross! We know that Christ has conquered sin and death, and that He loves us eternally! That is our joy and our hope! But how fast that joy and hope seem to flee in the face of great turmoil, as if stolen from us along with our steady ground, and we feel naked and afraid, like Peter!

But Peter did eventually understand when he came face to face with the risen Lord, and he became a fiercely passionate voice for the gospel, even to the point of his own death! Receiving the Holy Spirit allowed Peter to see the resurrected Christ rightly, and enabled him to understand Jesus' compassion and love for him despite his dismal failure. This gave Peter an entirely new perspective and drive, and the shaky ground he would often come to stand on no longer compared to the hope set before him! Peter, perhaps, finally understood Jesus' words about having overcome the world! Here was the God Man, who prevailed against the grave, AND who is Love itself towards us, despite our weaknesses! Who would not want to align themselves with such a hope, such a strong tower, such a powerful love?! The hope set before us is infinitely greater than our trials, and He makes us bolder witnesses for the gospel when we consider Him our most precious treasure! This does not diminish the hardships we face! But we are not left feeling naked and alone! The Holy Spirit is in us!

He is no fool who takes refuge in the LORD, for no earthly stronghold, no matter how impenetrable, and no philosophical idea, no matter how lofty, can protect the soul like the One who has prevailed against the walls of hell itself, and renders all other ideas infinitely beneath His smallest thought of love towards us!