Prologue
Have you ever been at that desperate point in your life where you were begging- no pleading for a word from "up there?" You plan your day around an hour of time tucked away, specifically for quiet time with Jesus. First, you get everything that could distract you out of your room: cell phone, kids, food, work, laundry and to do lists. You sit down, empty your mind from all thoughts, and determine to hear His VOICE. You wait rather impatiently. You hear nothing, not even a faint whisper. The only noise is the wind whistling by outside shouting its importance being greater than yours. As the seconds turn into minutes, you venture deeper and deeper into a black pit of discouragement.
“Why is it so difficult for me to hear His voice,” you ask yourself. “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I hear Him speak the way I used to be able to? Why can everyone else hear Him more clearly than me?”
We know that the Bible is infallible. It gives the promise of the Lord’s approachability, which keeps us coming back to Him again and again. This book has been about me diligently and persistently seeking Him. It has been about choosing daily to sit at His feet, until I could hear Him speak. Sometimes, it was easy, and sometimes, it just was downright difficult. The joy is that the Lord takes you and me right where we are. Don’t let the enemy lie to you and tell you that you can’t hear the voice of the Lord. He is speaking. I pray that through this study, you will be able to proceed with the Holy Spirit to places not yet seen by you, while allowing Him to uncover any hidden places in your heart.
Note from the Author: Where it all started!
A few years ago, I was having my quiet time with the Lord, and I heard Him say, “W...
... middle of paper ...
...Memorization
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
Questions to make you think!
Are you in a point in your life, where the Lord is asking you to step out into uncharted territory?
What is the new territory and how do you feel about going there?
Are you in troubled waters and need to find the “Path to Peace”? Explain.
What Scriptures help you get through challenging circumstances?
A Prayer of Blessing
Lord,
I pray for all those who are in the extremely difficult place of having to choose to step out onto turbulent water or remain where they are. I pray that they would be strong and courageous and would trust you implicitly. Help them to know that You are the I Am and will give them what they need to succeed with excellence. Help them see through Your eyes and walk boldly wherever their destiny is taking them.
Amen
A Separate Peace is a coming of age novel in which Gene, the main character, revisits his high school and his traumatic teen years. When Gene was a teen-ager his best friend and roommate Phineas (Finny) was the star athlete of the school.
A Separate Peace is a coming-of-age novel about two boys at boarding school and their friendship during World War II. There are three significant scenes of violence that occur in the novel; however, the core of the plot is based upon one. The first and most poignant is the incident where Gene, the narrator, jiggles the tree branch while he and Phineas, his best friend, are preparing to jump, causing Phineas to fall and break his leg. The next scene of violence is when Quackenbush calls Gene a lame and Gene pushes him into the water. Lastly, Gene pushes Leper out of his chair while visiting him after he is accused of causing Phineas’ injury. All of these occurrences contribute to the overall meaning of the work.
The literary analysis essay for A Separate Peace entitled Chapter 7: After the Fall notes that Gene’s brawl with Cliff Quackenbush occurs for two reasons: the first reason being that Gene was fighting to defend Finny, and the second reason being that Quackenbush is the antithesis of Finny. Cliff Quackenbush calls Gene a “maimed son-of-a-bitch”, since Gene holds a position on the team that is usually reserved for physically disabled students, and Gene reacts by hitting him in the face (Knowles, 79). At first, Gene remarks that he didn’t know why he reacted this way, then he says, “it was almost as though I were maimed. Then the realization that there was someone who was flashed over me”, referring to Finny (Knowles, 79). Quackenbush is “the adult world of punitive authority personified”, his voice mature, his convictions militaristic (Chapter, 76). Quackenbush reminds Gene of the adult world and all of the things that Finny and Devon protected him from, such as war.
Throughout the novel, A Separate Peace, the author John Knowles conveys many messages of symbolism. The symbolism can be found in an array of ways, ranging from internal war, to the theme of human aggression, and a variety of religious principles. The main characters, Gene and Phineas, and their story could be paralleled to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. The similarities can be seen in the way in which in both of the stories, everyone is living in perfect harmony and peace until something comes along to disrupt it. Also in how the main characters do something out of jealousy, greed, and selfishness; and in addition, how Finny's fall out of a tree relates to the “Fall of Mankind.”
In John Knowle’s, A Separate Peace, there is a transformation in all the key elements in the book, from the rivers to the tree to the seasons to the characters. The transformation is specifically seen in Leper, Gene, and Phineas. These three young men experience a change not just because of the transitions through adolescence. These changes also come about because of the war, the school, and an injury.
As I continued to chat with my pastor that day, I really sensed the hurt in his eyes – the anger that comes from an unsolvable injustice, the tiredness of a problem. “What’s wrong?” I finally asked, “Having a bad day?” Sensing that I was truly concerned, he let the truth be told. “I talked with a woman today whose baby died suddenly of unknown causes. As we worked through her grief, she talked about how numerous friends and family, even a religious leader had patted her on the back, shook their heads and said, ‘It was God’s will.’ I find few things worse to say to a grieving parent. Saying nothing at all would be of more help.” It was obvious from our conversation that he had an understanding greater than I about God’s will, and his insight created in me a curiosity and desire to learn more.
Through out the book A Separate Peace, Gene, his growth and harmony seem to change. His opinions, and outlook on life also seem to change as his relationship with Phineas does likewise. Gene’s self-perception changes from insecurity to imitation to independence as his relationship with Phineas changes.
In John Knowles novel A Separate Peace the quote "Everything has to evolve or else it perishes" (125), serves as a realization that instead of dwelling in the past, everything needs to move forward or else it will be left behind to be forgotten. This quote refers to the boys. Throughout the book they have to be able to deal with all that is thrown at them including all of the changes that are occurring during the war. Each boy has evolved in some way. Gene is finally learning to except his emotions, Finny is admitting the bad, and Leper the person you would least expect to be in the war joined the war.
On the other hand, as long as the hungry are being fed and the despised loved, God's hand is moving in the world. So I come full circle to find that we must faithfully remain amidst the brokenness and corruption, fix what we can, and be prepared to let God act as God will, as I, and each of us, pursue our own vocations and encourage others to do the same. As theologian Walter Brueggeman has written, “What God does first and best and most is to trust his people with their moment in history. He trusts them to do what must be done for the sake of the whole community.” So be it. Amen.
Dealing with enemies has been a problem since the beginning of time. “I never killed anybody,” Gene had commented later in his life, “And I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform, I was on active duty all my time at Devon; I killed my enemy there.” In A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, the value of dealing with enemies is shown by Gene, who was dealing with few human enemies, but his emotions created far greater rivals than any human could ever posses.
“…It seemed clear that wars were not made by generations and their special stupidities, but wars were made instead by something ignorant in the human heart.”
Collective security is one type of coalition building strategy whether global or regional in which a group of nations agree not to attack each other and to defend each other against an attack from one of the others, if such an attack is made. The principal is that "an attack against one is an attack against all." It differs from "collective defense" which is a coalition of nations which agree to defend its own group against outside attacks. It can also be described as a system where states attempt with its use to prevent or stop wars. Examples of Collective defense are NATO and the Warsaw Pact .The United Nations (UN) is the best example at an attempt at collective security. Many nations enter into such an agreement in an effort to maintain the status quo and to secure their best interests. Collective security is achieved when states come to an agreement on the need for same. As a result an international organization is formed under the rules of international law. The collective security organization then becomes an arena for diplomacy, balance of power and exercise of soft power. The use of hard power by states, unless legitimized by the Collective Security organization, is considered illegitimate, reprehensible and needing remediation of some kind. This idea of collective security was posited by people such as Immanuel Kant and Woodrow Wilson. There are a few basic assumptions as it relates to collective security, including , In an armed conflict, member nation-states will be able to agree on which nation is the aggressor another basic assumption is that each member state has freedom of action and ability to join in proceedings against the aggressor. Also of great importance is the fact that all member nation-states are e...
...o live by a higher standard as my leaders here at Bethel have exemplified greatly, and invested massive amounts of time into me and others to strive for. God is good and one of mercy, but He is just and grace cannot be openly abused but for so long in his eyes when we know the truth but cast it for a character that reflects us as Children of the devil. I desire to be a leader of people and to set people free from addictions as I have. Therefore I must scorn the nature I dismiss and cover with whispers of self-exaltation. I must drag the inner side of my life out to the forges and let the hammer of the Holy spirit shape me into the being God created me to be. Then I will cultivate the calling on my life and everything I need to accomplish and do in this life for the glory of God and His kingdom which is coming soon and may I be ready for such a time as then and now.
- How many of us have heard the call of God upon our lives, upon our families, upon our careers, gotten inspired, began to rise to the call, and then let it fizzle out?
To choose between righteousness and peace, it is a very difficult choice, but every person will have to make the choice at least once in their lives. It is a choice between living with seemingly no troubles or having all rights of the people will be respected. There can be peace without righteousness, and righteousness without peace, but to have both simultaneously is rare. Righteousness is defined differently in all parts of the world; however one can be sure they prefer righteousness to peace. When it comes to choosing, society does indeed need peace, it cannot operate on peace alone. Although there are different contexts of rights and how they should be distributed around the world, one must ultimately choose righteousness as top priority. Without righteousness, there cannot possibly be any peace.