Sonny's Blues& Lectio Deivina

Sonny’s blues a story that I enjoyed reading for class. I did find it hard to follow at times. But it’s about two brothers that endure so much suffering. Which reveals how different they are and the reason why Sonny’s brother cannot understand him. Sonny the main character who has a heroine problem addiction, and a passion for jazz and becomes a musician. Sonny’s brother is the narrator. While sonny feels more intensely all the hard ship in his life, his brother keeps his feelings locked in and chooses to ignore his own pain. James Baldwin uses jazz music as the main metaphor. The end of the story was complicated for me to get, I didn’t understand it but once we read it aloud and over again it began to unfold. We also were introduced to Lectio divina which is sacred readings where we did three out of the 4 steps, which was listening, reflecting, respond, and resting on the text. I have heard of doing this before with scripture but not with literature I kind of enjoyed it. And we practice it on my favorite part of the story the ending. I was able to reflect and what I got from it was rebirth, re finding your place but being restored by breath of life, the rhythm.  Also reflecting life through the blues. And he was focused on the wrong.  During class it was great hearing my peer’s thoughts and the words and phrases that stood out to them.  And some of my classmates thoughts like Isaac‘s was “God wants us to jump in the deep.”  Instead of me sharing what came to me, I was just soaking in what everyone else was saying. I really enjoyed this story and the activity in class and being able to close in pray.

Interpretation

This poem “Messenger” by Mary Oliver deals with being made to love the world and to be in ah of its beauty. To take life for its beauty and to not just see what the world can do and give to you. But by showing thanksgiving in every situation you come into that involves the world, which is pretty much everyday. Also to not worry about the earthly things like materialism, or looks and the latest and greatest things that will eventually fade, but love the creation that has been bestowed upon us and to be in one with it and rejoice in the fullness of creation.

Although this read may seem simple to understand, but with giving it a second read it will begin to unfold. I want to figure out more of what is being said in this poem than just the basic clarity. I specifically want to dissect the ending of stanza 2 moving into 3. It is talking about how everything on earth is in its place its one in unity so therefore, the things on earth are unified, and all things are to be joyous. The last stanza, being astonished for loving the world shows your gratitude from your mind and your heart cause if you didn’t have your mind and your heart you couldn’t possibly love the world without them.  To go deeper in the meaning of what this poem is saying I ask myself a few questions like: Who is the messenger? Mary Oliver is the messenger because her work volunteers her to do this by sending love, attention, and gratitude and sending a message. She keeps her mind on what matters, which is her work. And her work which is loving the world. To who is the message to? I answer with to everything, creation, and everyone!  What is the message? Telling them that we will live forever in rejoicing with gratitude.  

 For love of the world. Mary Oliver may come across as seeming like loving the world is work or like a job to most that may first start off reading it, but as she goes on you see her passion and love for creation. She starts to realize the things that matter to her before, they no longer matter i.e. staying young, her clothes etc. She then becomes grateful for her “mind, heart, and body-clothes.” Because without these three things there would be no way for her to possibly love the world and all it’s beauty she wouldn’t be able to fathom all the “ingredients” that were put in to making creation, she wouldn’t realize the rejoicing in it would bring eternal life to one’s soul. Not necessarily adding years but adding youth to the soul. You go on this poetic beautiful journey with her, unveiling God’s creations and what we are supposed to do with them. Ultimately have love, respect, gratitude, and be joyous.

“My work is loving the world.” “Keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.” “This is gratitude to be giving mind, heart and these body –clothes from our Lord.” These few pieces from the poem clearly show the love and astonishment she has for creation and the world. And what her work is. These sections don’t beat around the bush but clearly informs us off her love and passion she has for all creation. These were the key stanzas that really showed me what the poem was trying to tell me. At first reading it was very confusing until I read it again and again breaking it down to understand each stanza and then each sentence until I had full clarity.

I believe that we too are messengers. And everything in life has and plays a roll just like in this poem. It makes you view the world in an illuminating way and to not only live in the world, but to be set apart while living in the world. We have to care about what matters and to work,  but not forgetting the still quietness of it all to be able to rest, enjoy, and find wonder in it all as well, and giving shouts of joy, for even the plants and animals rejoice unto the Lord!

Philippians

This is one of my favorite books of the bible. From the Apostle Paul who writes this letter from prison. I loved how we read the New American Standard with no numbers. It flowed so nicely like a real letter the way it was written. Instead of me naturally breaking it into parts. One of my favorite verses comes from the book of Philippians. My mom always says it and it one of them many verses she had me memories growing up and it’s:  Phil 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication

With thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all Understanding,

Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I enjoy this book because it has some great themes like: a quitter never wins… a winner never quits, what goes into our minds, comes out in our actions, God NEVER fails, Lasting joy only comes through a relationship with Jesus, Christians have problems but Christ is the power to overcome them, and we have no basis for pride except in our perfect example, Jesus Christ.

Where is saw figurative language is when it said, “To live is Christ and to die is gain,” “ Be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death,” also “ I have you in my heart, “ and “ in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as light in the world.”

A Very Old Man

This was another interesting and weird story and the first thing I was confused about was why  the story’s subtitle is “ A Tale for Children,” this story by no means is a simple story. One thing that just stands out at you is the description; the very first paragraph is full of description. I would quote it but its just so long. It almost makes you feel like your there or can at least see it.

This style had a way of I guess u could say blurring the style for the read from reality and fantasy. And I find imagery and symbolism through out the story and especially with the angle. This story creates a lot of uncertainty. And as a reader you don’t doubt that he has wings but you are not sure what he is… a heavenly angel? A human with wings, or some other unexplained thing?

“He“ the angel contradicts their expectations of and angle but what stood out to me was “His only supernatural virtue seemed to be patience”

They treat him in a manner that seems ignorant, cruel, unjust way. It has relations to the child in the other story.  They both were locked up. One in a chicken coop the other a closet of some sort. The old man had extraordinary patience and acceptance of suffering.  When he was around good things happened. The rain stops, the child’s health improved, Pelayo and his wife prosper. And when the child is around that utopian city also prospered and gained happiness. And is there a significance that the boy got better once the angel came to their house? And that the angel and the boy when he gets older  both at the same time got chicken pox?

What is the moral?  There could be several:  Maybe people wouldn’t recognize a miracle even if they saw one. Appearances are deceiving. Or even patience pays off.

The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas

I’m not really sure how I feel about this story.  I was a little confused so I read it again. It is a story of a Utopian Society that’s almost fairy tale of just happiness and beauty but it’s flawed. This society whose survival depends on the existence of a child who is locked away mistreated and in misery. Even though all the citizens of Omelas are aware of the child’s situation, most of them accept that their happiness is depended upon the child. However, for some of the people after seeing the child and the conditions under which he or she lives, they leave Omeals. I noticed symbolism and Figurative description. The narrative also stops using past tense and switches conditional: “I think that there would be no cars or helicopters in and above the streets.” I find that moral plays a big part in this story.

Is there a symbolism of Christ in this story? I know that one man, Jesus suffered so that we might have life, live a prosperous life. If the child had a choice to free its self, what would he or she decide you think? 

I thought I would focus a little on the actual title “ the ones who walked away”. The narrator tells us that “the terrible justice of reality” is that this child has been so damaged by it environment that freedom would be probably be meaningless. But there are some who cannot accept the rationalization and the treatment of the child. These are the ones who walk away. So what do we think of those that walk away? Do we admire or take pity? Do they have enough morals to separate themselves from the inhumane treatment, but not enough courage to resist?  

The Temple of the Holy Ghost

A Temple of the Holy Ghost was a great read, but I found myself having trouble to even get myself to start it but once I did it had my attention.  This story had a lot of symbolism, but I found myself trying to solve what all the symbols meant and was losing the flow of the story trying to comprehend it.  I thought it was interesting that the child was the narrator and was called the child throughout the story. With this story I didn’t the process of interpretation reading, interpreting, and criticizing to help me better understand the story. The story had such a transformation on how the child now viewed life. And had a better outlook. Instead of disliking her cousin she accepts them and other for who they are and in the process she a change in herself wanting to get rid of anger.  Just in the way God see us by our heats. He made each and every one of us unique. And we need to remember to love the person and not the things they do. And we are not to have anger in our hearts. God is amazing how he can turn us around and show us the things that we need to work on to better his Kingdom. This was definitely a unique story.

The Man Who Came To Dinner

Hmmm let’s see where do I even start! Well I will start on a positive note since what is to come is going to be a little bit on the critical side. I went to see the pay with Vicky and that was fun getting to spend the day with her :) So to start things off I went to the 2:30 showing on Saturday and this play was absolutely boring. To be honest I left out of there like what did I just watch?! It was such a long play and I felt that my day was wasted and that was not worth my 10 dollars! However, I did find the theater itself to be pretty and the costumes and stage step up was great! The whole time I was just waiting fro the play to end. I couldn’t understand what was going on. And I was waiting on the man to come to dinner! Lol… not once did I see anyone come to dinner lol… I wasn’t sure if Vicky was feeling the same way? If she was enjoying it? but once we left and talked about it we were definitely in agreement that we didn’t enjoy it. She hides her emotions pretty well.

I was disappointed because I was actually really excited to see a play. I love seeing plays I don’t get the opportunity to see them often but when I do, I love them. Not so much with this one. For me was the acting I couldn’t believe the actors they didn’t come to life for me. There was one actress who kept messing up with her lines and instead of trying to let it flow you could tell she was already thing of her next line making her choppy. And after that I kept finding my self critiquing it and not being able to enjoy it.  Not once did I laugh while others around me did. There was many of times during the play were I wasn’t paying attention and I wanted to close my eyes but I knew that would be rode, So I didn’t.  The ending wasn’t even good. I was really annoyed with the whole thing. So I’m going to end this blog now because it is nothing but negative all through out it. But I will say the best part was going with Vicky! For all that went to the play I hope you had a better experience than I did. And I really want my money back.