Poverty to Disney, Perhaps a Pantalaimon

On Friday, I had to reconcile the differences between poverty-stricken Honduras, and the irksome, materialistic Disney Store. I'm afraid that I failed. As I got into my car Friday evening, I began to sob. I had no idea that leaving Honduras would affect me like this. I have been to Mexico three times in the past, and I have seen some terrible poverty. But this trip...was so much more personal, because of the kids. I love children with all my heart. God knows what he wants me to do with that love, even if most of the time I feel like I don't. Seeing the children's strength and joy this past week filled me with such hope, but it also brought into stark relief how much we've lost behind the veil of the material. My little brother can hardly even comprehend what those children's lives are like, but I so wish that he could. I wish that we could learn to live without the placating mechanisms we use everyday, material or otherwise. This is doubly true for a follower of Christ, who is called to the truth, which is that only Jesus can bring perfect hope, and peace, and joy. I'm struggling.

On a different note: The Golden Compass
Now, folks, I need to say a few things. Firstly, I think boycotting the film is ridiculous. Even if it has criticism of the Church, we should at least allow it to be a conversation starter between us and our children. And even then, that's granting that your children will even catch the very subtle hints of what Pullman was trying to say in his books in the movie. We have to understand that removing ourselves from the world doesn't mean the disappearance of the opinions of the world. When we try to shelter our children from something like what Pullman is trying to say in his novels, we are just ill-preparing them to deal with the same opinion when they come upon it later in life. Also, a movie should not be feared for its power to "change minds." My faith is not so weak that when Pullman presents a contrary belief, I immediately sway to it and abandon my old views. We need to learn as Christians that the old method of fighting reason with impassioned diatribes on faith does not work. We need to be ready and willing to give good, sound reasons for why we believe what we believe. It is our knowledge in why we believe what we do, and our exercise of that knowledge that will strengthen us to make good, valid arguments for why we remain Christians, even in the face of the world's Pullmans. I personally love the books, and understand, but do not agree with, what Pullman is trying to say. The story can be, I'm happy to say, beautiful without me agreeing with Pullman's stabs at the Catholic Church. And please, do yourself a favor and just read the books before you willingly pass on angry letters, or words, or sermons, about them.