Confession: I'm a major nerd for good literature, especially British literature (I have a cat named Jane Eyre). My new Kindle has been fuelling my nerdiness lately, letting me read multiple good classics for free with my extra free time this summer since our student ministry is on hiatus.
I've been up way past my bedtime two of the last three nights finishing Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy...folks, current writers just don't write good books like this any more! The character and plot development, the themes and issues classics try to unpack, the places they describe...it's absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking. This is the kind of story where you find yourself involved with the characters, biting your fingernails, sucked in and wanting to know more about what's about to happen next.
The basic premise of Tess is the story of Tess Durbeyfield, a child of generational poverty, who is sinned against as a teenage girl, but is seen by her family, culture, and self as being the sinner. After being raped in the woods by her would-be male protector, she is seen as a fallen woman by her family and community, seeking a new life in agricultural 1800s England.
The plot deals with how many people handle the truth about Tess's past: herself, her family, her would-be husband Angel who supposedly claims non-Christian ideals, her Evangelical in-laws, and ultimately the man who raped her.
Interestingly, I think it is Tess's pride, her inability to ask for help from others, and her lack of faith in Angel's potential ability to forgive her of her past, that is her ultimate undoing, not the original sin against her. As the plot thickens, she chooses to not seek help, to accept the lies that society has told her of her worth and value, not to believe her true husband Angel will return to her with forgiveness.
Which makes me think....
What are the true sins of my heart that would be my undoing, not the 'sins' or labels society has placed on me?
How do I handle others confessing their sins to me? Do I treat them with love and grace, or label them with their sin?
Am I able to be honest and vulnerable with others in confessing my own sins?
How am I reaching out to help others overcome their past lives or difficult circumstances and start a new life?
Do I listen to the words of culture, or the Word of God that teaches grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation?
Ultimately, Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a tragedy. The end does not sit well with me, because I think Tess was largely a victim of sin, culture, and circumstances she could not overcome. I wonder what her life could have been, if her family or husband had given her the grace and love we all desperately need, that comes only from God working in us. The book challenges me to find the 'Tess' in my sphere, my life, to reach out with grace and forgiveness, to cause change in the lives of those around me.
No comments:
Post a Comment