The Calling Of Gideon

 

“Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD!
But let those who love Him be like the sun
When it comes out in full strength.
So the land had rest for forty years.”

 Deborah, the first judge in the Bible, sang this song for the victory over the land of Canaan. God chose Deborah to serve God, just like he chose the next judge, Gideon, to serve. In the Bible, the book of Judges shows Gideon as one of the three judges in Israel. God called these judges, Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah, to communicate His will to the people.

 While reading The Iowa Baseball Confederacy, by W.P. Kinsella, I found an interesting correlation to the Bible. Matthew Clark names his son Gideon because he, like the biblical Gideon, played the trumpet. The name Gideon means “mighty warrior.” Although the biblical Gideon appears weak and cowardly, he is chosen to fulfill a mission, just like the Gideon of the IBC. The Iowa Baseball Confederacy remakes this story, yet in a different context.

 The Chosen

As is the pattern throughout the book of judges, the Israelites worshiped idols instead of God after forty years of peace brought by Deborah’s victory over Canaan and were allowed to be attacked by the neighboring Midianites. One day, the biblical Gideon sifts wheat, where the angel of God appeared and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!” In reply, Gideon asks why God was not helping His people. But the angel told him that God chose him to help His people. The angel of God sent him to fight the Midianites to save Israel. However, Gideon was afraid to conquer the Midianites since he was the weakest of his family. At the beginning of this biblical story, Gideon faces a serious challenge, but he is not confident he can fulfill the role God has given him.

 In Big Inning (“beginning”), Iowa there was baseball. And like the biblical Gideon, the Gideon in The IBC encounters a mission. Gideon’s father, Matthew Clark, has given him information about the Iowa Baseball Confederacy, a league he envisioned after being struck by lightning. He gained encyclopedic knowledge of this team, which brings Gideon on a quest to prove that this confederacy played against the Chicago Cubs in the summer of 1908. Gideon then enters the time and place of this event in 1908. Here, he meets Drifting Away, an Indian that Gideon’s father recognized. When he sees Drifting Away, he asks why he was chosen to save the confederacy’s record. Drifting Away chose him to embark on this quest, as the angel chose the biblical Gideon to fight the Midianites. Gideon was trying to save the confederacy – symbolizing the biblical Gideon’s calling to save Israel. He feels as scared as the biblical Gideon to pursuit this journey, since he believes no one cares about this confederacy. Both Kinsella’s Gideon and the biblical Gideon are given a duty that is not explained or proven; nonetheless, they strive to follow their calling.

 In biblical times, the Lord tells Gideon to cut down the altar of Baal and the Asherah idol, and replace it with an altar for the Lord. Gideon knew the Lord would guide him and his people to the right direction. Therefore, Gideon and his servants did what the Lord had told him to do at night, so they would not be seen. When the men in Midian awoke, they asked each other who replaced the altar. Someone told them that Gideon, the son of Joash, did this. So they told Joash, “Bring your son out. He has pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah idol beside it. He must die!” But Joash said, “Are you going to take Baal’s side? Are you going to defend him? If Baal is a god, let him fight for himself. It’s his altar that has been pulled down.” The next night, the biblical Gideon had a dream, in which a loaf of barley bread rolled into the camp of Midian. In ancient times, God spoke to people through dreams. Gideon interprets this dream as the Lord handing the army of Midian to his people. Throughout his mission to defeat the Midianites, he gives his army “a trumpet and an empty jar with a burning torch inside.” He told everyone to follow his actions. So Gideon and a hundred men came to Midian, where they all blew their trumpets and smashed their jars. Gideon and his army attacked the Midian soldiers, in which twenty-two thousand men returned home and ten thousand remained. After the victory, the people, recognizing their need for centralized leadership of the confederacy, petitioned to Gideon that he establish a hereditary monarchy, with himself as the first king. Gideon refused, however, on the basis that “the Lord will rule over you.”

 Comparably, Gideon of the IBC fought a similar battle. Baseball became a battle – one that had more than two thousand innings (note that ‘two thousand’ comes from the ‘twenty-two thousand’ men returning home in the biblical Gideon’s tale). As he does this, “ten men lay in their bed rolls about the camp,” which portrays the biblical Gideon’s dream where a loaf of barley bread rolled into the camp of Midian. Gideon, parallel to the biblical Gideon, blows a blast on his trumpet to draw attention. Throughout this battle, Drifting Away visits the camp of the white men, killing them in their sleep. Drifting Away, who represents the angel of God in the Bible, represents the actions of the battle in The IBC. This makes sense, as the angel of God in the Bible works through Gideon and guides his battle. As you can see, both of the battles provide a common theme: to let go and let the Lord control the battles of our lives.

 Peace will fill our lives if we accept what the Lord has given us. In The IBC, Gideon was obsessing over a false way of life. Drifting Away assumed, when he saw Gideon and Missy looking happy, that Gideon’s quest was also over. Maybe Gideon does not think his quest is over yet. Or maybe he’s been searching so long that he doesn’t know how to stop. Before he runs into the 1978 version of Drifting Away and Onamata, he dances with Missy and says that he’d like to have that moment frozen in time. Drifting Away says, “Maybe I’ll see you at the ballpark in Onamata,” then thinks about it, and says, “After.” Gideon replies, “Yes, after…” then pauses and says “Sarah.” This means that he’d be going back to a time “after Sarah,” after the flood. Big Inning, the IBC, and Sarah are all permanently lost. After this happens, Gideon allows God to control his life, just as the biblical Gideon – realizing this would lead to happiness.

 ”Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

 I believed that his trip back to 1908 represented a spiritual journey, in which he learned that clinging too tightly to a obsession led to doom, while pursuing love and learning to be happy with what you have brought rewards. For Gideon, Missy was love, and Sarah/Sunny and the IBC were obsessions, or “idols,” like the Israelites’ false gods in the Bible. But if he’s going to “take something with [him] this time,” he’s obviously going somewhere. I still believe that Gideon can’t go back to Sarah or to the game. I’d like to think that he understands this, though perhaps he doesn’t (notice that he tried to save Sunny, even though she was obviously fated to die). Even so, Gideon learns to stop worshipping over a false way of life and, like the biblical Gideon, chooses to follow God’s will.

 So, what can we conclude from these afraid, yet noble warriors? From both the biblical and IBC Gideons, we learn that God takes weak, humble, sometimes fearful people and uses them to do wonderful things. God uses the biblical Gideon to stop the Midianites from worshipping false Gods. And The IBC explains that Drifting Away does the same, showing Gideon that he was not alone in the battle, and that he would direct him. The Gideon warriors communicate God’s will to the people. And the story of Gideon has been repeated (in each persons own way) through the lives of millions throughout history.

 ”Don’t let the world deceive you,
I shall not be moved.
Like a tree
That’s planted by the water
I shall not be moved.”

 Religion takes its turn, in the form of the Twelve-Hour Church of Time Immemorial. Their constant refrain of “we shall not be moved” could be construed as the theme song for this particular game, but, in the end, they find themselves washed away with everything else, leaving only baseball. This song relates to the song of Deborah, in the Bible’s book of Judges. At the end of her song, “… the land had rest for forty years.” This means that the people did not worship false idols, or a false way of life, but lived in peace according to God’s will. The Gideon in The IBC stopped allowing the world to deceive, or move him, from the true life God meant him to live.

 Works Cited

Extreme Teen Bible. New Century Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001.

“Gideon and How God Worked with Him.” The Journal of Biblical Accuracy. 29 Jan. 2008 <http://www.jba.gr/Articles/nkjv_jbaoct97.htm>.

Kinsella, W.P. The Iowa Baseball Confederacy. New York: First Mariner, 2003.

“New King James Version.” Gospel Communications International. 29 Jan. 2008

<http://www.biblegateway.com>

“Old King James Version.” Gospel Communications International. 29 Jan. 2008

<http://www.biblegateway.com>

“Old Testament: Gideon Listens to God.” Mission Arlington Metroplex. 29 Jan. 2008

<http://www.missionarlington.org/pdfs/OTL2Year>.

Sullivan, Dale. “Gideon.” Biblical Lives 29 Jan. 2008 < http://www.evangelbaptist.org/

highschool/lessons/gideon.htm>.

Paint It White

White Oleander

Starring: Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renée Zellweger

Directed by: Peter Kosminsky
Colors affect mood, tone, and theme in the film White Oleander. This movie narrates a young teenager (Astrid) who journeys through a series of foster homes after her mother (Ingrid) goes to prison for killing her boyfriend with white oleanders-shrubs with long, poisonous evergreen leaves (White Oleander). The oleander plant is referred to as “the desert rose” (International Oleander Society). A desert is a lifeless, abandoned place, indicating that we must be cautious of our surroundings. The whiteness of this remarkable plant, as well as other colors, complement the tone of Astrid’s journey.

Throughout the movie, white is part of the background and the character’s clothes, which forms a mood since we relate white to objects and ideas. Historically, the Bible relates white to positive meanings-milk, purity, refinement, angelic-and negative meanings-false righteousness, escaping, devouring, and destruction (Color Symbolism and Color Meaning in the Bible). Astrid and her mother, Ingrid, live in a white house and wear white clothing according to their situation.

The white setting gives off a soothing and innocent tone. Astrid’s mother frequently wears a white robe. Many of us link her appearance to angels, which are notionally white. We expect the idealistic mother to represent the morality of an angel. Repeatedly, Ingrid also reminds Astrid that she is perfect. Though, Astrid disagrees with her mother. White imagery supplements Ingrid’s beliefs by changing the mood with a sense of safety.

However, this turns into a false perception when Ingrid poisons her boyfriend’s milk with white oleanders. We can connect milk to mothering or nurturing to symbolize a mother’s love, something considered pure yet refined over time. Our optimistism of white makes us feel that everything will be okay, but the story startles us with an evil twist when Ingrid commits murder. Astrid says, “I can’t explain how being with someone so dangerous was the last time I felt safe” (White Oleander). Astrid felt deceived by her mother, finding that she is devouring and destructing. When Ingrid murders her boyfriend, she reveals white’s negative side.

After illustrating the positive and negatives of white, the end of the movie shows its complete opposite-black. Astrid is so determined not to allow herself to be vulnerable again that when she has a chance for a home with a kind, loving couple, she insists instead on going with Rena, where she is sure not to be disappointed again. Rena is a money-hungry Russian with black hair, a black suit, and a house with dark lighting (White Oleander). Naturally, we link black to negative aspects of human experience-including death, disease, famine, and sorrow (Color Symbolism in the Bible). Astrid chooses this path so her mother’s fallacy, or the negative part of white, does not hurt her anymore. Black, in contrast to white, gives the setting a depressing mood.

When Astrid moves from foster parent to foster parent however, her life is not completely white. She adopts the colors of the families she lives with. Astrid’s foster homes include Starr, who shoots Astrid, Claire, who kills herself, and in between, she stays at an institution, where she is beat up by tough girls (White Oleander). Each setting provides Astrid with a new identity to try and a new opportunity to be hurt. The colors and settings change the tone of each foster home Astrid encounters.

Black and white, along with other colors, affect this movie’s overall tone. Each setting presents Astrid with new colors, where she tries to find her identity. Only, in the end she looks at all the suitcases from each of her foster homes and discovers that all these colors were really apart of her, that her life was not completely black and white. The different colors conveys that life cannot reach the perfect standards white, that there will be color, flaws, and immorality. Ingrid paints her surroundings and her life white since she thinks she and her daughter are already perfect. This world changes when Astrid explores different foster homes, where different colors take place. These colors shape the tone and mood of the movie because they help us understand Astrid’s situations.
Works Cited

“History of Oleander in America.” International Oleander Society. 20 Apr. 2007 < http://oleander.org/history.html>.

“Color Symbolism and Meaning in the Bible.” Riding the Beast. 20 Apr. 2007 < http://www.ridingthebeast.com/articles/colors/>.

White Oleander. Dir. Peter Kosminsky. Warner Bros. 2002.

Somewhere in the Middle

Last Thursday, I got a call from him. As I listened on the phone, he sounded sad, worried, but most of all, lonely. He ran to the library to see me. I felt so vulnerable, so lost, so confused. I miss him. I still love him.

He was not only my best friend, but the person I shared my life with. I wanted to believe that we could get back together even though I’m not ready for this. When I was with him, I felt like I had to step out of my “comfort zone,” as if I had to change myself in order to make him happy. I know I can’t do this to myself anymore. At the same time, I still want to see him, to be with him, and to know what’s going on in his life.

I feel guilty for having mixed emotions. I don’t want him to be with me because I am so unsure about it. My gut tells me that coming back to him doesn’t feel right, and yet sometimes I question that feeling—making me feel “trapped” in the middle. Part of my heart wants to be with him but my other half says, “We were not meant to be.”

Family Lifestyles

I grew up in a divorced family and became apart of two, very different worlds. As with most kids in this situation, I lived with my mom and visited my dad on weekends. Sometimes it was hard to adjust to both lifestyles since they are completely different in terms of expectations, rules, etc., but I discovered the value of families whether they are in one place or the other.

 My mom, on one hand, taught me to live spontaneously. Since she is such an amazing artist, I asked her one day why she doesn’t paint for business. She said, “Well Jessie, wouldn’t that take the fun out of it?” This made sense. Why should we worry when we are trying to enjoy something? She did not want to plan life, which really challenged my “planning” nature. My mom helped me learn how to plan less and enjoy more.

Unlike Mom, my dad likes things planned way ahead of time. This is not a bad way to live; it’s just a different style. After years of weekend visits at Dad’s, I eventually moved there, where military standards set the rules of how to live. I had to pay attention to small details, like scheduling my chores on certain days. Living at my dad’s showed me the other extreme of a military lifestyle—helping me find a balance between enjoying and planning life. Dad felt comfortable in a structured environment, and it shows that we are a lot alike when it comes to everyday choices.

While living these two separate lives, I discovered that no matter how different families are, they share a common view. Both of my families helped me, supported me, and most of all, loved me. The similarities between them are much more lasting than their superficial differences. I’m trying to see my families from God’s point of view. How does He want me to view them? Why has He placed me in two homes? And what does that prepare me for?

 Working on seeing my life through God’s perspective,

 Jessica