Introduction
Welcome back to the series on discernment! (If you missed the other two posts, check them out here and here.) We’ve discussed what discernment is, why you should discern, and the consequences of not discerning. But I happen to know that I’m the type of person that gets really annoyed when someone says to do something but doesn’t tell you how you’re supposed to do it. Ergo, this go-round, we’ll talk about the how.
How do you discern, after all? How do you keep discerning? How does discernment get easy?
It’s actually pretty easy to discern, once you get the hang of it. You just need to slow down and think about what you’re reading.
I took a reading test not too long ago, and my results were interesting. I got an average of about 325 wpm (words per minute), but my comprehension was pretty bad. I didn’t measure it, but I had to slow way down and reread sentences to actually get the message.
This is what you’ve gotta do with discernment. If you actually want to get the juice out of the story instead of just the fruit, you’ve got to slow down and take the time to make sure you’re understanding each sentence.
Ok, obviously this isn’t going to work so hot for everyone. I, for one, got really annoyed with my literature class last year ’cause I was forced to slow down and annotate every single stinkin’ story in the book at least twice! (Hooray for the homeschool mom who’s okay with twisting the curriculum a bit to appease her frustrated daughter! She only made me read it twice at most, unlike the many times over I was supposed to be doing.)
(Don’t tell anyone I said that.)
So for those of you who absolutely abhor slowing down even a little bit… still do it. XD Trust me, it’s worth it. Just make sure you get the point.
Step Two! After you understand, go take a walk or do something that doesn’t require a lot of brain power and think about the story. Analyze it. Ask why characters did stuff and if it aligns with the Bible, especially if something they did bothers you. Ask yourself if those cuss words or that inappropriate scene were really necessary. Remember the little bits you picked out and try to find the message underneath.
Eventually, after you get the hang of this, your brain will start doing it automatically. Ever since that aforementioned literature class, I’ve found myself noticing little lines in books here and there that seem to have the same message throughout the story. This is usually the author’s point or theme. Pay attention to those – they’ll tell you a lot. 😉
Okay, y’all are probably sick of me yammering on in this oofta long introduction. So! On to the big reveal! Which book or movie shall I tear to pieces this time?
*hums*
*notices you*
*waves*
Oh, hello there!
I hear you want to know what this book/movie is?
*blinks*
Well?
Do you?
R
E
A
L
L
Y
?
Okay, then, here it is!
Drumroll please!
(And trumpet fanfare)
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
(As a warning, there might maybe be spoilers in here. So beware. I’ll make sure the spoilers are alerted, but just sayin’. 😉)
That’s right, folks! This award-winning series is finally on center stage (at least in this little corner of the internet)!!
If y’all know even a little bit about me (or read the inspiration speech on the home page), you know that the Saga is on my top books list. I adore Peterson’s style and humor, his themes and the heartbreakingly beautiful way he weaves scenes together. So I think this would be an excellent series to review as a way to show how to find positive things in a book!!
Content
Pros:
Absolutely no cuss words (YAHOO!)
Little to no sexual stuff – if there is, it’s a crush here and there or between a husband and his wife and totally clean.
Violence is kept to a minimum – Peterson even set it up so when a bad guy dies he turns into a pile of dust – no guts. 😀
Cons:
Some bathroom humor. This may or may not be a big deal depending on who you are. 😉
Messages
Pros:
Time and time again someone sacrifices to keep a loved one safe. (SPOILER WARNING!!!) Nia, Podo, Artham, Oskar, and ultimately, Janner, sacrifice time and time again to keep the Jewels free from harm. (END SPOILER!!)
Along with that, protection and loyalty to your family is a big theme here. Over and over you see people (especially Artham and Janner) think Protect, protect, protect as they rush into danger to save a loved one. This is a very inspiring theme for me.
Once, after Janner makes a mistake that costs him a LOT (I won’t say what, just in case), there’s this touching scene where he’s crying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” over and over again as he sobs. To each apology Nia answers, “We love you, we love you, we love you.” This is a very powerful scene showing the beauty of forgiveness.
Thinking on that scene, there’s another thing Nia says that has always awed me. Janner (or somebody) asks about magic, to which she replies, “What is magic?” She goes on to talk about how she thinks even a bumblebee’s flight is magic. And honestly? It’s true. Look at the world around you and how much magic God has created.
Religion-wise there’s only one religion introduced – Christianity. All the characters either are for or against the Maker (aka God). Janner and his family trust and lean on Him, and (SPOILER!!) Gnag opposes him as the one who has made him ugly and ruined his life. (END SPOILER!!) There are some very touching scenes (*cough* by the Fane of Fire *cough cough*) that correspond to this.
I’m going to tell you right now that, as a writer, one of my biggest struggles is figuring out which characters I’m gonna “kill” and which ones I’m gonna “save”. I have to kill some of them, I know, otherwise the story wouldn’t seem very realistic and the threat would be shruggable. But I can’t kill all of them! I myself would die of guilt and grief. Guys… Peterson NAILED it. He killed just enough characters (NOT GONNA SAY WHO!) to make you cry and make you fear the threat, but he kept just enough alive to keep you hooked on the story and drooling for more. However, those poor characters of his had to deal with their loved ones dying. I don’t know how he does it, but Peterson totally got the grief end of things right. The characters all grieve for the right amount of time and in a believable way (none of those talking-to-the-gravestone scenes). Kudos to him (and LOTS of admiration for pulling it off)!!
Due to the Great War, there’s LOTS of orphans around. But not all orphans are that way because of the Great War. Maraly Weaver is one of those. She has an abusive father and is about as dirty and rotten as it gets. (SPOILER WARNING!!) But Gammon, the leader of the rebel city of Kimera, takes her under his wing and stops at nothing to keep her safe from her biological father. (Needless to say, Gammon’s one of my favorite characters.) Maraly’s story is a beautiful one showcasing how no one is too black for redemption.
There’s way way way more messages than these, but I’ve gotta stop for now so y’all don’t have a gihugicly long post. (Talk to me about it in the comments, I beg you!)
Cons:
Get this: none. *mind blown*
Morals
Pros:
Sacrifice – as already mentioned, this is such a glaringly brilliant one. (SPOILER WARNING!!) Artham sacrifices everything for his brother and the children, Nia sacrifices everything, Podo sacrifices everything for not just the children but his country, and Janner gives the ultimate sacrifice for his little brother. Seriously. That scene has me bawling every time. (Enter the debate about whether or not Janner actually died.) (END SPOILER!!) Even Nugget, Leeli’s dog, gets his hat in the ring!
Love – love your family. Love your friends. Even love your enemies. Wow.
Courage – multiple characters demonstrate courage throughout the series. Kal even struggles with fear in those moments where you get his point-of-view. Many unnamed heroes charge courageously into battle and die courageously with weapons in hand. (SPOILER WARNING!!) The Green Hollows stand courageously against Gnag’s tyranny, willing to sacrifice everything for the three children upon which the fate of the world has been lain. (END SPOILER!!)
Compassion – so many characters demonstrate this virtue it’s kinda staggering. The biggest one, though, is probably either Armulyn the Bard or Sara Cobbler (aka “Queen” Sara). (SPOILER WARNING!!) Both take in children orphaned by either the war or by the destruction of the Fork! Factory! and love on them to the extent that both get wiped out. Sara’s only twelve, but she has dozens of children (some older than she is) under her care because she knows they’ve got nowhere else to go. And Armulyn sacrifices (there’s that word again) his own desires to help Sara out. (END SPOILER!!)
And there’s also all those vices in there. Good for Peterson, he shed a negative light on ALL of them, for which he has my thanks. 🙂
Cons:
None. Again. 🤯😲
Favorite Quotes (because I HAVE to!)
“Whether crushed or sheltered by the Maker’s hand, ’tis beneath it we go, from breath to death.”
“Hurry! Reading is fun!”
“Don’t just follow your heart. Your heart will betray you.”
“When children say it’s time to leave, they mean, “It’s time to leave.” When grownups say so, they really mean, “It’s time to begin thinking about leaving sometime in the near future.”
“He was only twelve, but he knew enough to realize that the way before him would be hard. Is it worth it? he asked himself. Was it worth losing his old life in order to learn the truth of who he was and who he was becoming? Yes.”
“Gnag bends things for breaking, and the Maker makes a flourish! Evil digs a pit, and the Maker makes a well! That is his way.”
“Everywhere Janner looked, there were ropes, poles, platforms, and a thousand other ways to break an arm or a leg. It was beautiful.”
Aaand my favorite: “Love runs deeper than blood. Deeper than any name you could give me.” -Maraly Weaver
Wrap Up
What can I say? *shrugs* The Wingfeather Saga is second only to The Lord of the Rings (and yes, still planning a post on that). Peterson nailed it all – the themes, the plot and characters, the descriptions and dialogue – it’s all so vivid and real.
Bottom line: READ THESE BOOKS PEEPS!
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth. 😉
(Also, you can learn more about The Wingfeather Saga here)
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