This post will make some of my closest friends, favorite authors and the literary community in general disown me and attempt to revoke my newly acquired degree in English. (Dude, I haven’t even gotten the diploma yet. Am I on a probation of sorts?) Oh, well.
I think Jane Austen is supremely boring.
Cue WV having an earthquake.
I just can’t seem to get into those books. “But, her heroines are so far ahead of their time! They are downright sassy. She was a force to be reckoned with in her day,” you say with indignation. Yes, I hear you. The problem is, IN HER DAY. I cannot seem to place myself in that setting in such a way as to appreciate the significance of wearing one less petticoat than is considered proper. Which is weird, considering that I loved reading the American Girl books and my copies of all of the books in Little House on the Prairie are worn to shreds. I can get back in time pretty easily.
Maybe I’m too American?
ANYWAY. It seems to me that, for the most part, people who are interested in the past become obsessed with it and try to immerse themselves there. I am so confused when people say that they were born in the wrong era or that they would have been “cool” during some other time. Maybe you would prefer to be there now, but guess what? You’re not. For whatever reason, you’re alive in 2009 and God obviously knows what He is doing. He didn’t want you born back then. He wants you now. At the time, maybe Jane Austen’s heroes and heroines were fresh and a bit of a sensation. Compared to now? They’re antiquated.
The church needs to grasp this concept. If Christians acted more relevant to society today, we’d probably reach more people. We say that “God makes all things ~new!!~” when it sounds good, and that the anointed words of the Bible apply timelessly (which, they do) and a host of other things to make Christianity sound like a good way to go. Some churches adopt advanced technology and pretty lights while others scorn them for selling out and they will KEEP their hardback hymnals and uncomfortable wooden pews that Grandpa Jack built with his ~OWN TWO HANDS~ IN 1937, thank you very much. But overall, none of this is really relevant because if we don’t have some fired up people in the church, it doesn’t matter if the chairs are cushioned or the pews are not. If your butt falls asleep but your mind and spirit are engaged, the physical pain isn’t as difficult to bear.
I’m not saying you can’t enjoy Jane Austen. Hopefully, one day, I’ll acquire some taste and glean something from her words and talent. She DID achieve a huge measure of literary success, and I’d sure like to experience that. But honestly, it’s not even the point. I’m not saying that your church should split the pews up for kindling and get some comfy chairs. That might help, but it’s not even the point.
The point is? Be relevant and meet people where they are. Don’t get stuck in the past, because you’ll have a hard time waking up and becoming aware of God’s current purpose and plan for your life.
Also, don’t wear petticoats with holes. It isn’t seemly.
