Wild

At age 26, Cheryl Strayed was a mess. Four years earlier, her 45-year-old mother had died quite suddenly of lung cancer (seven weeks after being diagnosed), and Cheryl's grief had sent her spiraling downward. She had married at 19, and  in her despair, she turned to extramarital sex and heroin, hoping to numb the pain. Eventually, she and her husband divorced. She ended up aborting a child she conceived as a result of a sexual encounter. In the wake of Cheryl's mother's death, her family, which consisted of her stepdad, brother, and sister, disintegrated. She had bottomed out.

Having never hiked in her life, the answer for her was to hike the grueling, physically demanding Pacific Crest Trail, which started, for her, in southern California and ended at the Bridge of the Gods, near Portland, Oregon. So in 1994, Cheryl, completely inexperienced and unprepared for what she would face, set out to cover 1100 miles in 94 days--alone. Wild is her account of her life before and during her PCT hike.

Interestingly, I found Cheryl's story to be an anti-Pilgrim's Progress. Both Cheryl and Christian (of Pilgrim's Progress) begin their journeys in the City of Destruction. Both carry heavy burdens on their backs. Cheryl carries her backpack, which she names Monster, filled with some things she needs and many things she doesn't. When she begins her journey, she can barely lift it, and eventually a more seasoned hiker she meets along the way forces her to get rid of the things she doesn't need, including a huge pack of condoms. Both Cheryl and Christian are in need of salvation, and while Christian finds it at the cross, where his burden falls off his back and rolls down to the bottom of the hill, Cheryl seeks it in herself, in confronting her rage at her mother's death and pushing herself physically to make it through rigorous terrain, rain, snow, heat, past bears, charging bulls, ants, snakes, and even a couple scary humans.

But at the end of her journey, Cheryl still carries Monster on her back. It's lighter, and she's stronger, but, nonetheless, Monster is still there. One reviewer noted that while Cheryl seems to feel remorse for her actions, she never really is sorry for the terrible things she's done. In her own words:

"What if I forgave myself? I thought. What if I forgave myself even though I'd done something I shouldn't have? What if I was a liar and a cheat and there was no excuse for what I'd done other than because it was what I wanted and needed to do? What if I was sorry, but if I could go back in time I wouldn't do anything differently than I had done? What if I'd actually wanted to **** every one of those men? What if heroin taught me something? What if yes was the right answer instead of no? What if what made me do all those things everyone thought I shouldn't have done was what also had got me here? What if I was never redeemed? What if I already was?” 

Ultimately, Christian arrives at the Celestial City, the dwelling place of God, and Cheryl arrives at the Bridge of the Gods, which spans the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon. Eventually she remarries, has two children, becomes a bestselling author, and writes an advice column called "Dear Sugar." Cheryl chose the last name "Strayed" at the time of her divorce because she says that its definitions fit her life: to move about aimlessly in search of something, to wander from the proper path. Unlike Christian, who follows a path that leads him to salvation in Christ, Cheryl moves aimlessly in search of something and thinks she finds salvation in herself. And yet, how can the problem (herself) possibly be the solution at the same time?

It's an interesting read in many ways. Strayed writes beautifully about her life on the trail, the wonderful things she sees, the people she meets, and the way she copes with the challenges of living in the wilderness. Her story is adventurous and fascinating. The account of  a gratuitous sexual encounter she has on the trail (Strayed seems fairly sex obsessed) disappointed me because I thought this was a serious account of a person's earnest search for peace and meaning. Including this incident in the book made me think that the author was anticipating a movie deal. And so she now has one. While I marveled at the author's perseverance and courage, I felt a sense of sadness at the end of the book that this journey had not led her to the answers to grief and despair that would set her on a proper path and bring an end to her aimless wandering.




  

His Speech Reminded Me of . . .

Much discussion in the media this week of  the president's inaugural address and just which well-respected historical figure he was channeling. Chris Matthews heard Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (of course), and there were others who mentioned Lincoln. Another commentator called the president "a liberal Reagan," and one blogger even noted a strange echoing of Neville Chamberlain with the use of the phrase "peace in our time."

I've read the speech and marvel at the brazenness. I've been reading 10 Books That Screwed Up the World by Benjamin Wiker (I recommend it, by the way), and so when I read the president's speech, this is what came to mind. The emphases are mine.


Barack Obama:

"But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people."

Karl Marx:

“Society does not consist of individuals, but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand.” 

Barack Obama:

"For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts."

Karl Marx:

“Anyone who knows anything of history knows that great social changes are impossible without feminine upheaval. Social progress can be measured exactly by the social position of the fair sex, the ugly ones included.”

“Social progress can be measured by the social position of the female sex.”

Barack Obama:

"For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class." 

Karl Marx:

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”

“The world will be for the common people, and the sounds of Happiness will reach even the deepest springs.” 

Barack Obama:

"We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher."

Karl Marx:

“Philosophers have tried to describe the world--the point is to change it.” 

Just interesting.

David Murray: 10 Reasons to Confiscate Your Kids' Phones

An excellent blog post from Dr. Murray on how a parent who truly understands what is best for his or her children manages their cell phone--and social media--usage. As he points out, it is essential that we make "this wonderful technology a servant rather than a master." Children who learn to "master their cell phone . . . will stand out in their generation in so many positive ways."

Arrival at the Celestial City

The obituary notice for much-loved and well-respected former Cedarville professor, whom we knew as "Mr." Grier:

GRIER (Rockford) James Murray Grier, Th.D., age 80. Pilgrim James arrived at the Celestial City on January 9, 2013. He was born in Staten Island, NY to James Murray and Mary Helen (Hannah) Grier. While Jim was growing up, his father pastored at South Baptist Church of Tottenville/Staten Island, NY. He earned his B.Th. from Baptist Bible College, M.Div. from Grace Theological Seminary, Th.M. from Westminster Theological Seminary, and Th.D. from Grace Theological Seminary. Dr. Grier taught and preached extensively across the United States, in Canada, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and Zambia, pastored two congregations, served for 16 years as Executive Vice President and Academic Dean at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary of Cornerstone University, was Chairman of the Evangelical Seminary Dean’s Council (ESDC) 1993–1998, consulted pastors for more than 50 years while advising numerous hospital boards on medical ethics, was a highly sought after conference speaker on philosophical theology and Christian worldview across the globe, and was the distinguished Professor of Philosophical Theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (GRTS) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His publications include The Relation of the Law to Christ, Demonstrating Truth in Our Lives, Doing Theology in the Context of Church Ministry, and Calvinistic Philosophy. Before coming to Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 1982, he taught at Cedarville College (now Cedarville University) as a Professor of Philosophy (1969–1982) and served administratively in various roles. Beyond GRTS and Cedarville College, Dr. Grier had been a visiting or adjunct professor at Asia Biblical Theological Seminary, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and London Reformed Baptist Seminary. Since 1978, he had been an Adjunct Professor at Grace Theological Seminary while holding a similar position since 1984 at Evangelical Baptist Seminary of Quebec. He also served two years as the Acting Academic Dean of Grand Rapids Bible College (Cornerstone University) from 1985–1986. His very first and final sermons were in the church that his father served for 47 years in Tottenville/Staten Island, NY. His various professional memberships were The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. His philanthropic endeavors included work at Home of Hope and Blodgett Hospital. Jim is survived by his wife of 58 years, Shirley (Stewart) Grier whom he married on July 30, 1954, his son and his son’s wife, Dr. Kevin Blaine Grier and Dr. Robin Grier; and his sister, Joyce Elizabeth Grier, as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews. Memorial service will be at Grace Community Church, 3500 New Holland, Hudsonville, MI on Monday at 7:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the “James Murray Grier Scholarship Fund” at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.

Because he accepted a position with Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 1982, halfway through my Cedarville years, I had only one class with him, Introduction to Philosophy. But my first husband, Jonathan Selden, knowing that Dr. Grier had accepted another position, managed to take every Grier class except one (and memory fails me what that one class was). While I didn't learn much directly from Dr. Grier, I benefited from the instruction that Jon had received and passed onto me.

I didn't know Dr. Grier as well as Jon and his friends; nonetheless, our paths continued to cross on occasion after I graduated from Cedarville. A short time after Jon and I had moved on to Chicago after finishing our master's degrees, a fellow Cedarville alum, a close friend of Jon's, who had also been a student of Dr. Grier committed suicide. Dr. Grier was called upon to preach at his funeral. We were devastated, of course, but I will never forget what happened when Dr. Grier took his place at the podium. Before anything, he said, "Some scripture for our comfort," and for what seemed a very long time, he quoted from memory various scripture passages, without comment. He clearly understood that for those of us present who knew Christ, only his words would bring us relief from this painful experience. I was also moved when, in 1996, Dr. Grier came to the funeral home to express his sympathy when Jon died. It had been years since he and Dr. Grier had had any contact, so I was somewhat surprised to see him.I have recently learned that Jon and his friends were the only students of Grier ever to honor him with a festschrift.

I've had two occasions in the last five years or so to hear Dr. Grier preach: once while I was working at Discovery House Publishers he spoke during chapel, and a couple of years ago, he spoke at the Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Conference. On both occasions he spoke about heaven, about leaving this world behind. At the conference, Dr. Grier was ill and suffering from shingles, but he spoke passionately from Revelation about the vanities of Babylon, and how it would all be gone one day when there was a new heaven and a new earth. I learned today from a person who attended his funeral last night that one of the speakers said that he had told his young son that Dr. Grier had died. His son said, "You mean that man who preaches about heaven like he's already been there?" And it was clear when he preached about heaven that he was eager to go there, to meet in person the one he had been talking about for so many years.

I also remember that this great man with so much understanding once told our Intro to Philosophy class that his favorite hymn was "Jesus Loves Me" because the song explains that we know this because the Bible tells us so and not because of some subjective human experience. Today Dr. Grier knows that Jesus loves him because the Bible tells him so, and because he is with him, and his faith has been made sight.

What Pastors Shouldn't Tell Their Wives

An excellent post from Dr. R. Scott Clark of Westminster Seminary, California, on why it is important for pastors not to share with their wives the private matters he is entrusted with.. While the lessons of this blog post are most obviously applicable to pastors and their wives and families, the principles here would apply to any church officer who is obligated to keep information confidential from members of the congregation, and not just their wives and families. As Clark reminds us, "It's a matter of integrity."

Writing as an elder's wife, I can say that it is difficult to know that there is a part of my husband's life that must be kept private from me, and yet I understand that this is necessary for the good of the church--and for my own good. He is the one who has been called to the task of leadership in the church, and not me. I asked him once if it was difficult for him, having to remain silent on things that probably at times are troubling and stressful. He explained that he was able to share these things with the other men with whom he served, so that he wasn't carrying them alone. It is a wise way to understand this responsibility.

Those who have ever learned something disappointing about another person understand that it is much easier to serve others in the church when we don't know the details of their "issues." Also, we can't be guilty of gossiping about and slandering others if private matters are kept private. In this context, ignorance is bliss. Much wisdom here from Dr. Clark.