Recently I have been back into books. I am currently immersed in the world of "The mortal Instruments" a series by Cassandra Clare. I have always loved fantasy with magic and fairies. My sister is actually the one who introduced me to first movie and that failed. Then they tried to make it a TV series on Netflix and if you ask me that is also a fail. If you can get past the bad acting then its not half bad. I still say that the books are better but most avid readers will always say that.
Books have always had a theme. Whether children, young adult or super dry literature, every piece has a point, a theme that the author is trying to communicate. That's what I learned from English class at least... but I think they were correct... although I was never a fan of that class. The themes that we always pointed out in English class were identity, love, rejection, love, acceptance, worth and other that I am definitely forgetting.
The theme of "The Mortal Instruments" Book 1-3 (one of them at least) is the lack of personal identity and lack of self worth. A character is unsure of who his father is and has never felt truly accepted by the family that adopted him.
**At this point in English class I would be required to create a thesis statement with 3 main points about how I believe these themes exist in the book. I passed English class, so I am done.**
The most interesting component about looking for themes within books is that our personal lives also always seem to be full of them. They are universal and parallel to the themes and ideas that we wrestle with in our own personal lives. Amazing how God uses books to show us again and again these themes that are often true of our own lives, something that we struggle with, that we lack. Many books try to resolve these themes through self love, finding acceptance in friends or finally entering that romantic relationship and the stories have happy ending.
In real life, the ones that we live, the resolution to those things that we wrestle with or lack does not come so easily. Temporary solutions might arise like the ones listed above but often I still feel that I am lacking, and the reason it feels like this is because it is true. Things of this world are only perfect for a time before the taint of sin exposes its self and shows these fillers are broken and are unable to completely satisfy that desire.
That is why I am so grateful for Jesus. He has created a space were I can enter into a relationship with him to permanently and completely satisfies the gaps, the things that are lacking because of who he is. I know that his love has no limits, no stipulations, no conditions, and endless forgiveness. All I need to do is believe that he does what he says he will.
Jesus is always pointing his creation back to himself, including these books, all I have to do is keep looking for him.