Jeremiah is a Christ Figure

Throughout Peace like a River, Jeremiah Land is shown as a Christ figure. There are several things that have happened with Jeremiah that have also happened with Jesus.

The first similarity between Jeremiah and Jesus is their names. In Hebrew, the name Jeremiah means “may Jehovah exalt” and “the Lord exalts”. Although the name Jesus has Hebrew origin, it is most commonly used in Spanish cultures with the name meaning “the Lord is salvation”. Both Jeremiah and Jesus have names that reflect the character and attitude of God. Jeremiah’s name definitely reflects his relationship with Christ since no matter what may have happened in Jeremiah’s life, the Lord was ALWAYS exalted and was always put first in his life. This brings me to my second similarity: both Jeremiah and Jesus took time out of their day to pray.

On page 217-218 of Peace like a River, we find Jeremiah praying or rather wrestling with God.
                “Reuben, he stayed up all night. I woke and heard him. Do you know what he was doing?”
                “I suppose praying,” I answered miserably.
                “Yes- not like I ever heard anybody pray.”
We can assume that Jeremiah knew what he had to do but was struggling with it so he took it to God- he confronted Him about it and sought after him. Jeremiah wasn’t the only one though that did this. Jesus was caught praying too before he had to do something that he too would rather not do. In Mark 14: 35-36 we see Jesus calling out to his Father saying, “Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” In both of these cases, Jeremiah and Jesus, they weren’t pleading their cases to God gently, no- they were CRYING and YELLING out to God. But they did more than just complain to God they were submissive to God and they both said these words “Not my will, but your will Father”. They may have not wanted to do the things that God was telling them to do BUT they still did it- they obeyed.

Both Jeremiah and Jesus walked on impossible things. On page 17, his son Reuben saw him walk right off the truck and not fall. “He went on pacing-God my witness- walking on air, praying relentlessly, a good yard of absolutely nothing between the soles of his boots and the thistles below.” In Mark 6:48-50 Jesus walks on water. “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified”.

Lastly and probably the most important similarity between Jeremiah and Jesus is that they died for someone else. On page 307, Dr. Nokes begins to explain to Reuben that Jeremiah shouldn’t have died. After examining him, none of Jeremiah’s organs were damaged- blood vessels, yes. But he actually shouldn’t have died. Reuben on the other hand should have died. This is very similar to how Jesus died for all of us- he endured the pain, he shed his blood, and he was the one that took the blame for our mistakes.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Jeremiah is the Christ figure in Peace like a River. There are too many similarities between Jeremiah and Jesus for him to not be the Christ figure. Leif Enger did a fantastic job making Jeremiah like Christ.

He's a Good Kid

Dear man in the gray and yellow ski parka:

Thank-you for taking the young boy into your care and into your family. I know that life is rough right now- not knowing what the weather will be like or if you will have another meal- but thank-you for telling the boy to go with you and with your family. I must warn you, though, of a few things about the boy.

The boy is always unsure. Before you came the father would always want to search in abandoned houses or stores but the boy was never sure if they should be doing those things. The boy always wanted to be safe and it took a lot of the father to calm him down and then get him to do things. As you might have already guessed, the boy needs a lot of reassurance. I know that during your 1^st conversation with him he asked you if you were one of the good guys and then he proceeded to ask you how he was supposed to know if you were a good guy or not. His father had to continually reassure him that they weren’t going to die, that no one was going to hurt them, and that they would never hurt or eat another human being. Please keep reassuring him.

The boy is always caring for other people. He is the most generous and most caring person that you will ever come across. I know that during this disastrous time everyone is fending for themselves. They are scavenging for scraps of food and are barely staying warm enough to stay alive. Throughout the journey with his father, the boy wanted to help every single person that they saw on the road. He didn’t care if had to give up a meal or two- he just wanted to help whoever he could. In fact, during his journey he saw a boy about his age. He hadn’t even gotten a good glimpse of the other boy but he knew that he needed to help him. After his father said no and after they walked for a little while, the boy turned to his dad and said that he wished that the little boy was here because he would give him half of his food. The boy is full of compassion.

The boy is always submitting to authority. He may not like what he is told to do or may even be hesitant to do it at first but he will obey. Throughout the journey, if the father said to stay close then he stayed close. If the father told him to carry the pistol, he may not like to do it but knowing that his life is dependent on it, then he did it. The boy is respectful by obeying what is said to him and by never raising his voice.

All in all, the boy is a good kid. He is always submitting to authority, always caring for other people, and always needs reassurance before setting out on a new adventure. Please do not hurt him in any way, shape, or form. He has been through a lot and really needs some stability in his life. Thank-you again for taking care of him!

Sincerely,

A grateful reader

Compassion

“I wish that little boy was with us.” –Page131

Wow- what an astounding statement to be made by such a little kid!

The boy in The Road never ceases to amaze me. His love and his compassion for others is truly remarkable. He doesn’t even have to know the person to have such a great desire to help them and to see them live. In our first reading, the boy sees a man walking down the road. A man that is dirty, grungy, hurt, the least of the least and yet without even knowing this man or his story, the young boy wants to help him.

During the second reading, the boy hears a dog barking. (Page 82) Even though he is hungry, the boy is not compromising on his morals by eating it. He turns to his dad and says, “We’re not going to kill, are we Papa?” I know that for most people in that situation, they may not want to kill it at first but in the needs to survive they would end up killing it and eating it. It almost seems to me that the thought of eating the dog in order for him and his dad to survive never crossed his mind.

On pages 84-86, the boy sees a little boy. The boy doesn’t even have to have a good view or look at the other boy to know that the little boy needs help. He says, “I just wanted to see him, Papa. I just wanted to see him.” The boy wouldn’t stop crying and wouldn’t stop looking back after seeing the little boy. He mentions to his father that he is afraid for the little boy, that they should go back to get him and the dog so the dog can catch us something to eat, and even goes as far as to say that he would give that little boy half of his food. We all know that the son and father don’t have that much food and for the son to say that he would give the little boy half of his food is a huge sacrifice. It’s even more remarkable for him to say that counting the fact that he doesn’t even know the little boy and has barely seen him.

What would it look like for us as Christians to have this heart of compassion that the little boy has? What would it take for us to give everything that we have to someone that we don’t even know? This little boy has truly touched my heart.

I want to become a missionary in other countries through education. One of the things that I’m learning is giving myself away- putting other people’s needs and wants before mine. If I want to be a missionary and live for Christ then I need to learn how to give someone I don’t know the shirt off my back…WITHOUT HESITATION. The little boy in The Road is willing to do this and is willing to do this more than once. I believe that it isn’t just a one-time thing- it’s a continual thing. We need to be continually compassionate for others.

Quest

“The real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge.”

According dictionary.com, a quest is a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something.  Urban Dictionary puts it another way though; it isn’t just a journey, it’s a long tedious journey. It is also defined as a mission that could involve battle, but the outcome of the said mission is full of worth. In other words, it is more than just a journey- it would be considerably more treacherous than a mish or a trot, as it will probably entail passing several hardships before arriving at the destination.

Knowing several definitions of the word “quest” comes in handy when reading “It Is More Than a Quest” because the author gives us the five parts that are always involved in a quest- (1) a quester; (2) a place to go; (3) a stated reason to go there; (4) challenges and trials and; (5) the real reason to go. If you only know quest as a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something then part number 4 of the 5 parts that the author gives us doesn’t make sense. However if you know that a quest is a long, tedious journey then you would have no problem agreeing with the author’s 5 parts to a quest. This knowledge of different definitions of quest will certainly add depth to your reading.

Self-Knowledge: knowledge or understanding of oneself, one's character, abilities, motives, etc. (Dictionary.com) To know yourself means to know your passions, your goals, your hopes, your strengths, your weaknesses, and to know what you stand for as well as against.

When the author said “The real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge”, I believe that it was something more than just saying that when you go on a journey it’s to find out about yourself. I believe the author is saying that in life, everyone goes on a quest and the reason you go on that quest, whether the reason is stated or not, is to find out about yourself. I don’t think the author means our quest is to the grocery store to pick up a loaf Wonder Bread but I think that the author is implying that our quest is a thing we call life. Throughout life we are always trying to figure out more about ourselves and what we want to do in life.

“Forty-five-year-old men either have self-knowledge or they’re never going to get it, while your average sixteen-to-seventeen-year-old kid is likely to have a long way to go in the self-knowledge department.” (Page 3) Society puts pressure on us to know what we are going to do in life by the time we graduate college and they tend to look down upon people that are 45 and still have no idea what they are making out of this life. However, using the definition of quest as a LONG, tedious journey makes me feel like we don’t necessarily have to know what to do in life by a certain time because everyone’s definition of “long” is different. What may be long to me may not be long to you.  Knowing several definitions of quest and self-knowledge adds depth to our reading.

Peace Like a River Blog # 9

“Yes-not like I ever heard anybody pray.” On page 217, Roxanna states to Reuben that she has never heard anybody pray like Jeremiah had prayed the night before.

When I read this it struck me because as Christians we are called to be different, to be set apart. When people hear us pray they should know that we are not just saying a simple prayer to get us through the night. They should know that we are serious about talking to God. Although Christians ought to pray I think that this creates a problem for today’s society.

Today we are all about what can God do for us, how will God answer our prayers, and how soon can God answer our prayers. Today we say quick, one-minute, heartless prayers and then we wonder why God doesn’t answer them, well at least answer them in our ways. Jeremiah truly knew how to pray- he was set apart.

In Matthew 6:5-15 it says, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray:  “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Simply stated these scriptures say that you shouldn’t pray to be seen by others or to be glorified by others. You should pray when you are alone and you should pray like you mean it. So often today, when people do those long heart felt prayers, they simply do it to grab the attention of man and not the attention of God.

 As I mentioned before that in today’s society we find people doing heartless, quick prayers. In the scripture above, it says not to keep babbling like pagans, they think they will be heard because of their many words. Even though quick prayers aren’t a bad thing, it’s a bad thing if you don’t mean what you are saying and that you are only doing it because you need something which is commonly found in today’s culture and society.

Southeastern certainly teaches the importance of prayer. Not only do most of my classes incorporate prayer but when I go to talk to my academic advisor, he always advises me to pray about any decision that I need to make. The students that I have met and that I have shared my heart with, have always advised me to pray to God with everything that I have- to seek him before anything else.

This part of the book may not challenge or create a problem for Southeastern University since they stress the importance of prayer but in today’s society and even in some churches, this creates a problem since most churches don’t earnestly seek God- they aren’t set apart.

Problematize- Peace like a River Blog #8

Although this is a problematize post, I feel like there isn’t a problem or a conflict with my beliefs and with the book Peace Like A River. I do believe, however, that there are situations that arise in this book that are a problem for some Christians.

The first problem is dealing with vengeance. In the very first chapters two boys, Israel Finch and Tommy Basca, threaten Ruben’s father and family. (Page 12) The most common response to human beings is to seek vengeance on these two boys especially after they placed tar all over the front door of the Land’s house.  Surprisingly, the father is not worried about it, doesn’t complain about it, and doesn’t plan to correct the two boys for doing this horrible thing to his house. When people read this and see that Ruben’s father is different than any other person, this may seem puzzling to them. They may begin to think “Why didn’t he do anything back to them? Why isn’t he angry? Why doesn’t he talk to their parents? Why does he not complain about cleaning up the tar and not complaining when the tar doesn’t come off the door?” Ruben’s father had every right to be upset and to correct the two boys but instead he stayed calm and didn’t complain. As a student of SEU, I think the culture here would like us to take on the attitude of Ruben’s father. How many times have the RA’s or RD’s heard about someone wrong doing someone else when instead we should follow God’s word and turn the other cheek? How many times have the professors heard us complain about the amount of work that is given to us when instead we should be like Ruben’s father and do what needs to be done without griping or complaining?

The second problem is dealing with fear. On page 3 it says, “My sister, Swede, who often sees the nub, offered this: People fear miracles because they fear being changed- though ignoring them will change you also.” As human beings our natural tendency is to be scared and to not do certain things because we are afraid of what may happen when in fact when we don’t do those things, we end up changing. Southeastern’s main focus in my opinion is to follow the will of God for your life no matter what that may be or how that may look. Sitting through chapel and even getting to know people here on campus, I sense that majority of people are afraid of doing what God is calling them to do, including me. But besides doing the will of God, I feel as if the students on this campus are afraid to really encounter God like He would like to encounter us. We may say that we are willing, but if you look around, are the students here really willing to do whatever it may take? As many students are afraid of the will of God or miracles because they are afraid of where it may take them, ignoring them will take them to places- places that they may not want to go to.

Although this book, Peace Like A River, may not go against our beliefs or the way Southeastern thinks but it does challenge the way we do things as Christians. It challenges us to against our human nature and not take vengeance on one’s that have threatened us or has already began to hurt us. It challenges us to not fear miracles and the will of God in our lives. This book certainly challenges our ways of doing things but I personally think that it will strengthen us to become better as followers of Christ.

It Is Well With My Soul- Reflective

After reading the lyrics to the classic and beautiful hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul” it has reassured me that no matter what situations arise in my life, I can rest and trust in God.

I researched the writer, Horatio Spafford, and learned that this poem wasn’t written when everything was going well in life, in fact this song was written when everything was crumbling. His only son died of scarlet fever when he was 4 years old, all of his real estate investments burned up in flames from the Great Chicago fire, and all four of his daughters died in a shipwreck.  

It amazes me at how someone can be going through all of that heartache and pain but still rest in God and know that no matter what, you always have to say “It is well with my soul.” To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure that I could still praise God in the midst of what seems to be a flash-flooding, high- intensity, tornado. Yes, I would love to say that I will follow what I have been taught about praising God in every situation but when the storm rages once and then rages again and then keeps raging, I don’t know if I could stay under control.

I really like the line that says “Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul.” To me, this is a phrase that needs to be continually running through my head. No matter what happens- no matter if my house burns down, no matter if I get a 50 on a test, no matter if I get made fun of, no matter if I get dumped by the love of my life, no matter if my family dies- I will always say “it is well with my soul.” I think you can really tell how solid someone is by the way they react when the storms come. Horatio is a perfect example of being that person that no matter what may happen in his life, he is going to continue to rejoice in God and say “it is well with my soul.”

Seeing how well Horatio handled the storm makes me want to be a better person. As I mentioned before, I’m not sure if I could continue to sing praises when my life is falling apart but after looking deeper into this song I know that I want to and that I will forever say “It is well with my soul” despite anything that may come into my life.