Classic Romance

Jane Eyre far exceeded my expectations. What made me cringe at eleven made me swoon at twenty-three.

Bronte masterfully draws the reader into the improbable romance between Jane and Edward while maintaining Jane's feminism and virtuous morality. Although the reader knows that a relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester should be improbable, Bronte captures her readers by maintaining realism through Mr. Rochester's flamboyant character and Jane's practice of self-control. The complications of social status, age, and relationships both strengthen and deepen the characters of Jane Eyre, creating persons the audience can relate to.

Of course, I wonder if Jane is a partial refection of the author herself who was the daughter of a minister but fell in love with a married man. Jane's inner thoughts concerning her love for Mr. Rochester must have come from a mind which was also self-disciplined to overrule the emotional tendencies of the heart.

So after twelve years and a second chance, Jane Eyre has made it onto my "must read" list. The themes of retribution, love, and virtuous morality have created a story that I will gladly read from cover to cover.

Austen vs. Bronte

If you ask a lady what her favorite book is, I'll be you'll get one of two answers: Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice. Ironically, those who cherish Jane Eyre can't stand Pride and Prejudice and the Austen lovers tend to loath the Bronte fanatics. What's the big deal?

Of course, for the majority of my life I have been an avid Austenite (though I have yet to get through Emma--to much a of girly novel for me). I loathed Jane Eyre on principle. Now I am faced with a perplexing problem: was I wrong to set the two novels at odds? Can I not love both?

Honestly, I do not find the two novels comparable. Bronte's novel is a macabre romance while Austen's remains a light romantic comedy. The events of Pride and Prejudice occur in a few short years, while readers of Jane Eyre grow with Jane from adolescence to maturity. Austen presents a window into the social life of the times while Bronte challenges social and religious conventions.

And here I am perplexed: can one truly justify upholding one while degrading the other? Both captivate the audience drawing the reader out of reality. Both romances correctly address the inner conflict of the heroine while creating a charming hero that any girl could fall in love with (despite Mr. Rochester's age). Truly if you were to ask me "Austen or Bronte" I would have to retort "both," for both have become treasures of my library.

A Shining Light

"A friend loves at all times and brothers are born for trials." (Proverbs 17:17)

When Jane entered Lowood school she needed one thing: a friend. True, she needed acceptance and academic training, but she needed a companion who would do more than accept her--she needed to be loved. And for this need Bronte creates a shining light: Helen Burns.

I find it interesting that Bronte chose to name this deep, insightful character Helen Burns. Up to this point, Jane has lived in a world of darkness and despair. What light has shined in her life is faded or a cheap reflection. But Helen is a true light, just as her name suggests. She shines through the darkness of Jane's former and current surroundings burning truths of Scripture into the poor orphan girl's empty, dark soul.

From the start Helen admonishes Jane to "Read the New Testament, and observe what Christ says, and how he acts; make his word your rule, and his conduct your example." The light that shines within Helen is not produced out of her own good works. Helen shines because she reflects the perfect light of Christ.

Throughout the few, short chapters in which Helen is mentioned, Jane finds herself surrounded by warmth and honesty. A fire in Miss Temple's room is a physical picture of the warmth Jane feels in the company of Miss Temple and Helen. Jane remarks that "I never tired of Helen Burns; more ever ceased to cherish for her a sentiment of attachment . . . How could it be otherwise, when Helen, at all times and under all circumstances, evinced for me a quiet and faithful friendship, which ill-humor never soured, nor irritation ever troubled?" How many of us could say that we have a friend like that? How many of us are a friend like Helen Burns?

Helen's static, deep character is discussed briefly in comparison to the expanse of Jane Eyre, yet, both times I have read it I believe I've wished to be more like Helen than any other character. Oh, that my life would be a living testimony to others. Oh, that I would graciously accept criticism in order to be perfected into the image of Christ.

Oh that I may be a Helen Burns--a shining light burning forth for Christ.

Poor Orphan Girl

In my first reading of Jane Eyre, I became so grossed out by the relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester, that I completely forgot the beautifully descriptive language Bronte used to describe Jane's unfortunate childhood.  I was crushed by the impact of Bronte's words. Jane's torments became my torments, her fears my fears, her frustrations my frustrations, her passions my passions. The poor orphan child longed desperately for the one thing she was not given: love.

I wonder how Mrs. Reed could treat her niece this way? Why did no one care for this poor orphan girl who was cherished by her uncle? What kind of life would make a child of 9-10 consider a poorly run school a haven from a house filled with the finest things the world had to offer?

Bronte masterfully sketches the unfortunate, but necessary childhood of Jane. Having read the novel once before, I know that some themes will return later in the book--darkness and mystery and unrequited love--but I'm also anxious to see what else Bronte will teach me in my second reading. After all, there's a world of difference between a fourth grader and a college senior. Maybe the situations of this poor orphan girl will prove crucial after all . . .

The Greatest Good

What would you consider to be the greatest good in your life? Take your time and think.

Truly, "The greatest good on this earth is God. Period. God's one goal for us is Himself" (Crazy Love, 62), but we usually replace God with all of his stuff. So often we live as if the greatest good in our lives were some attainable thing--financial security, academic success, marital bliss--but it's not. We love God out of duty and obligation, never thinking to return the crazy love He has for us.

Have you ever realized all the crazy things people do for love? "Love has a way of making even the most difficult tasks feel simple and joyful" (Living Crazy Love, 35)--tasks like making someone else the priority, sacrificing all you have, and realizing that love may not be returned. Our God has that kind of love for us and "our knowledge of God's love should penetrate to the core of our being" (36). Does living crazy love define and seep from you?

Romans 8:31-39 reminds us that "we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." You and I don't have to live in fear or defeat--God has given us the victory! To live in fear of my enemy, I am doubting and belittling the greatest good in my life. Chan puts it this way: "if God is the greatest good in the universe, if everything in this world comes from Him and is ultimately all about Him and His glory, then God's love for us means everything. . . . nothing matter more than God's love for us and our love for Him" (41). Is that true for you? Have you made God preeminent in your life? "Can you honestly say you believe that God is greater than any person, possession, career, or goal in the world" (41)?

If you can't, then I have a question for you. What would you consider to be the greatest good in your life? If "God is worthy of your complete devotion" [and He is] what do you need to do to prove that God is your greatest good?

Everything

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Mark 12:30

Do you love God with everything? Do you rely on Him for more than that breath you just took and the seemingly all too distant future? Do you realize that God loves you with His everything? Now that's crazy love.

Chan started chapter three of Crazy Love with a direct accusation: "Most of us, to some degree, have a difficult time understanding, believing, or accepting God's absolute and unlimited love for us" (54). Why? Why is God's boundless love so hard to understand?

Because we don't truly understand the love relationship God wants to have with us.

The Bible frequently refers to God as our Father (I Cor. 8:6; II Cor. 1:3), describing Him as a loving, providing, protector. Unfortunately, few children describe their earthly fathers with similar adjectives--children today feel afraid and abandoned by their fathers.So, when the Bible describes God as our Father, children (teens and adults) are blinded by their perception of an earthly father, not enlighted by the wonderful picture of our heavenly Father.

Do you realize that God knew and loved you before He made you (Psalm 139)? "The very face taht a holy, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful, fair, and just God loves you and me is nother short of astonishing" (61). How true! I am so undeserving of God's unlimited love! "The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we deperately need God but don't really want Him most of the time"(61)--that's a sad, but honest, truth, isn't it? God loves and longs for me despite my [pitiful] efforts to ignore Him.

It's time to stop shoving God into our mold. Stop conforming God to your father. Start loving God naturally--with the type of relationship you wish you could have with your dad. Get to know God by communicating with Him "frequently and zealously" (57) through prayer and time in His Word. If you want to improve your relationship with your father--earthly or heavenly--you've got to spend time with him! We've got to make Him our everything.

Have you made God your everything? Whether you have or haven't, pick up the Bible. Now that's one book you can read cover to cover knowing you are going to be challenged and changed.

I Won't Watch

"Do you want to make an impact on your world" (Chan, Living Crazy Love 25)? If your answer is no, then I'll assume that you are either dead or lying. Who doesn't want to be remembered, even if just my the intimate world they live in?

We all do little things to impact the world around us. We give our time to open doors for strangers or help in a Sunday School class or youth outreach. We give our cast-off clothing to the thrift store down the street--you know, the one who donates a portion of their funds to Boys and Girls Clubs or disabled veterans. Sometimes we even give of our money to support some cause.

Me? I'm no different. I work with the youth at my church, donate clothes to that thrift store, and give my money to missionaries, evangelists, and yes, charities. In fact, I recently bought a watch from IWon'tWatch.com to support the youth conference I worked at in college (you can too--just message me for details).

But in doing all those things, am I really impacting my world? Chan askes two soul-searching questions, "What keeps you from pursuing greatness? What holds you back from seeking everything God wants for you and is calling you to do" (26)? Are you simply distracted or are you afraid of what Christ might ask you to do? At times in my life, I have been both distracted and afraid, but I don't have to be. Jeremiah 29:11 tells me that God's plans for my life far exceed my greatest plans for my future. I don't have to be afraid--"we have to remember that we're not in control of our lives. We are absolutely dependent on God. We have a responsibility to act and obey God, but we're not going to change the world on our own by simply trying harder" (29). It's that last phrase that gets me--I can't change the world by simply adding more effort. I must be dependent on God.

I don't want to just watch the world go by--I want to act! But in my actions I must remember that "this world is about God" not me (31).

Live your life without regret. Live consumed by crazy love.

Define 'life'

In Pixar's movie "Wall-E" the captain of the Axiom inceasantly asks the computer to define terms affiliated with earth--his home planet and yet a planet he had never seen. You hear the computer's textbook replies to his statements "Define 'earth'. Define 'dancing'. Define 'pizza'." In the second chapter of Crazy Love Francis Chan says, "Define 'life'."

James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what life shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Chan notest that "on the average day, we live caught up to ourselves. On the average day, we don't consider God very much. On the average day, we forget that our life truly is a vapor" (39). True, isn't it? I don't generally think about God in every waking minute. There are even things I convince myself are too small to bother God with. "But there is nothing normal about today" (39). Did you catch that? Nothing. Every day I live is a gift from God.

Do you ever justify your actions? I know I do (take a peek into my real life by clicking the "Write On" link at the top of the page), but am I really justified in my justifications? Chan seemingly describes me when he mentions his false belief of dividing the world into natural worriers and natural joyful people. Do you really believe God would do that? Like He drew me out of a hat and said, "This one's going into the "Worrier" bin." Of course He didn't--quiet the contrary. He commands, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). "When I am consumed by my problems . . . I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice" (41). Although I read these words weeks ago, they are still true. I never have the right to disobey. My God is BIGGER than my circumstances.

"Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are" (42)? I hate to continue quoting Chan, but he writes so well--"Even though I glimpse God's holiness, I am still dumb enough to forgeth that life is all about God and not about me at all" (42). My Bible study group has been discussing the same things: my God is bigger than my circumstances and this life isn't abou me at all. Funny how God uses a variety of venues and texts to teach us the same thing . . .

As Chan so boldly and plainly states, it's time to "get over yourself" (44). Your life is to be defined by God. "He is everything" (51).

Second Chance

Have you finished reading a novel and thought, "why did I just waste my time?"

{If you say this every time you read a book, I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to those bibliophobes who are as bound to reading as some people are bound to coffee.}

Those destested books get put on a bookshelf to gather dust or thrown in a bin and are eventually donated to a charity or thrift store of some sort. Either way, the future of that book is bleak--dust or destitution.

I was in fourth grade when I read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte for the first time. And, I must admit, when I finished reading I really did feel as though I'd wasted hours of my all important 10-year-old life. For those of you doubters, yes, I understood the general outline of the story. So, why didn't I enjoy this classic of British literature that so many bibliophobes like myself relish to read time and time again?

I thought the story was gross. I was a fourth grader reading about a lady who marries a man 20 years her senior--I was bound to dislike the book. For the past 13 years I have avoided Bronte's masterpiece like the plague. First impressions die hard. But, the time has come for me to give Jane Eyre a second chance. I can't promise that my opinion will do I complete 180, but I do promise to read with better understanding. Stay tuned as I reread this classic from cover to cover.

What novel have you read that you felt was a waste of time?

Have you ever given a book a second chance?