Christmas Writing

[Gary McCallister]

I posted on Dec. 1 in the Thanksgiving section, so I thought I would start over again correctly.

Had an interesting question in Church today. What is the difference between faith and courage? It seems to me one could be courageous with little faith. And one could have faith but not the courage to act. It also seems like faith should breed courage. Can courage breed faith?

The most interesting thought that I had about this topic is Christ admonition that those who will save their life shall lose it, and those who will lose their life shall find it. In battle, the one who is fearful and runs to save their life is almost sure to be killed, or live a living death. The one who throws all thought of saving his life to the winds and fights mightily just might save his life. Was Christs teaching a call to courage?

Any thoughts?

[charlie]

Sometimes I think it takes courage to display faith.

[sachiko]

Hmmm. This reminds me of something I read today over at First Things magazine--Richard John Neuhaus defines the difference between hope and optimism. That optimism is the prism through which we see the world, but hope is the act we take regardless of whether the future looks rosy or not.

I am thoroughly third-trimester, which means I am sinking deep into my right brain. In about 8 weeks I'll stop moving to the right and head back and down into my hindbrain and function like a lizard. I realized several pregnancies ago that my limbic system taking over my higher cognitive functions is simply a fact of gestation, and that's when I try to watch movies.

Usually I find movies terribly boring and stupid--not that I'm smarter, I just like having control over the speed of narrative that reading affords--

but when I'm really far along, ANYTHING seems interesting. And funny. Even Adam Sandler, shockingly.

Wait, I had a point....where was it?

*rummages*

ah. yes. I can't parse the difference between faith and courage because for me it becomes a personal question--I wish I could elucidate more eloquently, but it's something like "Lord, I believe; help though mine unbelief."

Sometimes I feel my faith is lacking, but I try to make up for it in willingness, even deliberate recklessness. If that's not an oxymoron. I don't know if recklessness = courage.

I find courage to be something that can only be defined after the fact--at the time, when people act in courage, it seems they're usually acting out of different motives. I'm thinking of objectors who hid Jews from Nazis in their homes, or people who walk into fires to save other people, or people who get up again even on mornings when even usual depression hovers like a noxious rain cloud over their heads.

But at the time, I don't know if people are thinking, "ah, yes, I shall act in courage!" Perhaps I'm only considering this on the basis of how I would handle each situation, but if I were to put my self between someone and a threat to their life, I would do it out of a conviction that this is what Jesus expects of me, and almost a helpless feeling of obedience to Jesus' promises about those who lay down their lives.

After, someone might say, "Oh, how courageous of you," but the courage is a byproduct of something else in that situation.

I could see acting out of desperation, ignorance, terror, sheer adrenaline, drugs ("Dutch courage"? Not that I think the Dutch historically have been chickens; there are other nationalities I would assign that weakness to more readily than the Dutch; I guess here I'm thinking of Operation Market-Garden in wwII)

and having people later describe it as "courage".

Maybe I'm hitting hindbrain sooner than I thought I would and am now having an unusually hard time with abstract concepts.

Ask me about bread. I can tell you about bread.

[sachiko]

Oh, and, I am thinking about my samurai ancestors, who were admonished to go into battle acting as though they were already dead.

Which lead to some amazing moves and victories. But...also to a LOT of carnage. Japan has historically not placed a lot of value on individual human life. Or corporate human life, for that matter.

I think in this secular, utilitarian world there is no reason to sacrifice oneself and courage, as sacrifice of life (indeed, sacrifice of anything, up to and including self-gratification by any means) is seen as absurd and meaningless.

Through Christ, we know we have more life to go on to, and the acts we commit here affect that life later. Courage is a byproduct of that, but then so is meekness, which is also usually seen as weakness. And humility, and obedience, and submission.

I guess my head is too much in the current societal fishbowl for me to think clearly about this. I need to go spend more time with Alma the Younger...speaking of courage and life-after-death and near-death-experience stories.


oh, btw, I just read a new Orson Scott Card book called Ruins. It's the second in a series that is ostensibly juvenile fiction, but I find it wonderful.

brother Card's style has changed a lot in the past few decades--I read Seventh Son and Red Prophet when I was 10 or so, and I guess that became my Platonic ideal of How OSC Should Write--and I have felt a little mixed about his more recent stylistic changes, but they are perfect for this story.

Things move very quickly, and are driven both by plot and excellently drawn characters. The read feels smoot, fast and flawless--for something with so much white space/dialogue, he works in an amazing amount of information and backstory and introduction of concepts. I would love to emulate that kind of deceptively smooth, character-based storytelling style. It makes regular exposition look clunky and boring.

But, then, it could be that my attention span is receding. Maybe I just don't have the bandwidth for a slower pace and chewier writing.

[charlie]

If anyone is interested and has the time go over to LDS Publisher and read the Chirstmas short stories being posted starting today for her annual contest. I've read the first couple and they're good, although mayble not good enough for me to vote for either one. I'll have to read the rest and decide. I will have a story in the mix somewhere. Been asked not to say which one it is.

Also, I will post cover art for a new book coming out hopefully before Chirstmas.

[Gary McCallister]

Congrats, Charlie, on the new book! I'll try and check out the short stories, although probably be a couple of days. because we are the week before finals. This is the week the teacher scrambles.

Got to get the column out this morning. I have finally got a list of my columns up dated. It is amazing how difficult it is for humans to keep track of even a small number of things. I can say that with some authority for lumping humans together because I have watched so many students and adults struggle as soon as the number get about fifty. I mean how many can claim to have sung 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall all the way through with out a mistake?

I still think a collection of my essays could be useful and perhaps entertaining to teachers and home-schoolers. But I don't know how to get it to an editor who might agree. Perhaps that should be the project I put my mind to for 2013. By the way, I have the list, but not necessarily all the columns yet. I think I may have lost one or two.

This afternoon I go to the studio. I am working on a very personal project right now. I am recording two old love songs that I have written over the years for my in-laws. I am combining these with about 10 songs from long ago that I used to sing to my wife. These are old things like "Love Me Tender", "Elusive Butterfly", "Do You Want to Know Secret". I hope to have it out for Valentines 2013. I am calling it "Recovering Romantic". When a person records someone else's song it is called a cover, so I am covering old songs that were romantic to my wife and I. It also is a double entendre, as I am sure you can see.

Actually I am just buying time while I complete writing the songs and arrangement for the next big project, which I am calling. . . . wait for it . . . [e-mail]. Get it?

Ok, enough already.

[sachiko]

I LOVE it. So punny.

[sachiko]

Me, I'm sewing diapers and Christmas ornaments--I folded origami cranes years ago, but our cats keep climbing up the tree and taking them down and thrashing them, and then carrying them triumphantly through the house; I am sewing new ornaments to cover our denuded Christmas tree--

and various other baby and maternity items.

Gary, I agree with you on the complexity of numbers past #50; I feel that way about anything over 20.

Charlie--congrats! And can't wait to see the cover art.

[paulwest]

Oh, wow! I've been looking in the wrong place for all y'all's messages. Until today, every time I came to this site, I didn't see any action and thought you'd all quit "talking" here. I'm excited to see I was wrong, that you all are still here, talking.

When I get a chance, maybe tomorrow, I'll respond to some of your postings.

[paulwest]

Gary, my feelings on faith is that faith is what gives us courage to act. Some people do act without faith - Mormon was a great example, but with faith he/we can do much more.

Charlie, good going with your upcoming book. I don't know if I can find the time to go to LDS Publisher, but I'll try and maybe by accident I'll pick your short.

[Gary McCallister]

Glad you found us again Paul. I think there is some kind of distinction between faith and courage, but I can never quite put my finger on it. The man who jumps on a grenade is somehow different than the man who is burned at the stake for translating the Bible.

However, of even more interest to me is the language used in the Church for many different things. We just seldom to never talk about courage in the church, yet it seems crucial to our missionary efforts and even living the Gospel. Similarly, we seldom talk about being manly. it is always about being a Priesthood holder. We do sometimes talk about being industrious and hard-working, but not a lot. I am not sure if I have ever heard a talk about being resolute. We do cover self-reliance well, which would seem to be contradictory to faith. We encourage people to be morally clean, but don't say much about self-discipline. I can sort of understand that we don't say much about honor, that being equated with worldly honor. Still, a good life should be an honorable achievement.

The thing that seems odd to me is how much our language seems to avoid masculine adjectives, verbs and nouns. Then we wonder why not as many men seem to be as religious as women. If gender is an eternal trait, then manliness is an eternal principle, and I think it consists of something more than "niceness". When I was a little boy, admittedly not raised in the LDS Church, I didn't necessarily want to be "nice". I wanted to be brave, strong, noble, and good. Good is not always nice. I spent hours practicing throwing knives at a tree and having clod fights with the kids on the next street. It was always for a noble cause.

I think I should make it clear here that I am not criticizing the Church or it's leaders. I am just really curious where this comes from and why it exists. Maybe I am just seeing it from a peculiar point of view. it probably isn't even important. I just find it very curious.

Finals are over by the end of the day. Hooray. The next few days are crazy. Give the last final and turn in grades, go to the studio to record another song, dentist appointment for cleaning and exam, Christmas party of the Beekeeper organization, then tomorrow we drive to Salt Lake and back to exchange Christmas gifts with Boise-son, then Friday AM give music lessons to four children. Might be a day or two before I get back here. Oh yea, today is trash day. It's ironic that trash pick up is the same day my column is due each week. ;-)

[paulwest]

Dec 12, 2012 9:02:02 GMT -5 Gary McCallister said:

It's ironic that trash pick up is the same day my column is due each week. ;-)

LOL

Gary, it sounds like you've got quite a busy schedule. I'm glad you take time to visit and comment here.

I'm wondering, have you read Elder Christopherson's last Priesthood Meeting talk? His talk is all about being manly - manning up. He criticizes us wimpy men, men who let the Relief Society do it. It's a great talk, and the Bishop has asked me to give a Sacrament talk about this on December 30. I just hope I can do the subject justice.

[paulwest]

Sent out several more queries. Got one rejection back so far. Still not holding my breath. Wish me luck.

[paulwest]

Just in case I can't get here between now and Christmas, I want to wish you all a very warm and wonderful Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year.

[Gary McCallister]

I read a different version of the nativity the other day and then shared it with my family. I won't try to post it here or even recap it. You may read it for yourself. It's in Revelations chapter 12. It describes how Satan was furious with Eve and waited to devour her child. But she was protected and the baby taken home to God. But Satan, in his fury, has tried to destroy woman ever since and most especially does he go after her children. It made me think about how all the evil empires have willfully assaulted the children. The Mongols used them as human shields. The Muslims as well. Hitler killed babies, as did Stalin and Mao.

Then Sandy Hook happened. It isn't guns that slaughter children. It is pure evil. Watch for the signs. When the children become targets of violence, imprisonment (school) and indoctrination, you know it is Satan.