A Christian Viewpoint

ERAGON by Christopher Paolini
published by Alfred A Knopf
Fantasy: for young readers

Ah, Christmas time, when you reap what your mouth has spoken. I remember mentioning seeing this book at Costgo. What drew me was the title since it was close to Aragorn, one of the heroes of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. I knew immediately that it was a fantasy. Unlike Tolkien’s work, this book has as its main readership older children to young teens, aimed more at males. Little did I ever expect to find this book hidden in the toe of my Christmas stocking.

Ever since J.K. Rowling wrote her first story about Harry Potter children have been picking up full fledged novels and reading them with a voracious appetite. This has opened the door for others to write novels aimed at a younger audience. Christopher Paolini has done a very good job creating his own fantasy world. It does however lean heavily on the current ideas of what are: witchcraft, sorcery, dragon lore, elves and of course dwarves.

The main character is a mid teen from a rural community. By circumstance and a bit of magic he comes into possession of a strange rock. Later, lo and behold… it was an egg with a dragon inside. At this point you can understand that this teen is going to become the “messiah” of the story. There are many characters introduced into the story. Most of them are good and of course some are evil. I won’t get into the story because some will want to read it I am sure. At the end of this book good eventually triumphs over a sinister evil but leaves the central bad guy fully intact. That is probably the subject of book two of the series.

Like many fantasy books this story portrays an alternate reality. Characters that were once associated with evil have, in this version, become the good guys. God is never mentioned in the book. If you thought that J.K. Rowling’s book was a primer to educate young children into the darkness that surrounds Satan… well I believe you will come to the same conclusion with Eragon. Having the book I read it. I found it a light read and enjoyed the telling of the story. I can however see the propaganda of the enemy weaving its way through the telling of the story to influence young minds. I have no idea whether Paolini intended it to be this way… perhaps he simply wrote a good story to make some money. We know however the enemy of Christ will use whatever and whoever he can to take the darkness and make it appear as light.

This book has been released as a movie. I have no idea how well it has been received. Though I personally enjoyed the book I do not recommend reading this tale. This goes specially for easily influenced children.

I remember the previous church I attended. Once a month we would have a love meal. Everyone would bring something to share. After the service, when it was time to dine, everyone bunched around the tables to get the good eats. The rose photo, which reminded me of those meals, is an exageration of that event… but not by much.

Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
published by Warner FaithThis particular book has been kicking around the house for about a year or more. My wife bought it when our church decided to have the women go through it together. They bought the study guide as well and away they went. The meetings were every week. My wife enjoyed the study and found it beneficial. Since that time the Lord has been putting it on my heart to read the book for myself. Last month I finally picked it up and read through the book. A section a day until I was through it. Personally I have many struggles and problems. It was my hope that it would help me. I would not say that the book was an eye opener. It did however bring to my memory a lot of what the Lord has shown me over more than a twenty five year period.

Anyone who has listened to Joyce Meyer on television will not be surprised by what she has written. Much of what has been covered in the book has been repeated on her program. What is good about the book though is that it brings all of the related material together and puts it into a form that is easy to read and quite handy since now it is at your fingertips. The book is broken down into three parts.

Part one is about preparation. What the battlefield is. To encourage you too start and continue on this path of discovery and renewal. That change comes over time. It also discuses the enemy and some of his tactics. Part two describes some of the conditions of the mind. Part three covers mental attitudes. It is more than a book explaining the problem. It is written to give you scripture and how that scripture when properly applied can be used to overcome guilt, faults and depression. It is a practical book.

Not having read the companion study guide I cannot comment on how the two would compliment each other. I will say however that the book alone is worth the time it takes to read. In many ways it can be a life changing study. The end result is to have the mind of Christ. You should not rush through the book. Time should be taken to understand and reflect on the material and how it would apply to your life.

www.joycemeyer.org

Have you been wondering why I haven’t been posting the last couple of weeks?

Two weeks ago I dropped off Linda at the airport. She was going to her mother’s in Newfoundland. She certainly had an adventure while she was there. In the two weeks that she was gone I was bat’ching it. Cold cereal, a few warm meals and a whole lot of nothin gettin done. Normal for a guy I guess and if not normal then normal for me at least.

Tonight she is landing at Hamilton airport. In preparation some house cleaning. Going to the store to get some of her favourite foods. I have a rack of ribs that have been marinating overnight in the fridge. Good eats cooking  and good company arriving at 5:59 and my life will spark up again.

Besides me the cat, Cafe, will be delighted at her return. My lap is hard and Linda’s is soft. I move a lot and she moves little. I stroke a little she strokes a lot. I can hope that I fare at least as good as the cat… what am I saying… I know I will fare better 😉