#'made the lords more isolated from their friends and extended a war by 3 years'

[procrastinatingattorney]

the genuine fear of shippers asking questions at the tbob panel

but meanwhile i wanna shake the guy by his shoulders and go 'are you happy now? people are ignoring the ending of the book and the arcs and going crazy over ships!! we can't even compare bill to stan or mabel and come up with stories of bill possessing one of the family without someone going "ummmm thats kinda weird cos that certain ship is super duper canon and any other interpretations are wrong"!!!'

[hd-wireless]

🎶 H/D Wireless Anon Masterlist 🎶

28 Days,

28 Fics,

3 Artworks,

Welcome to our H/D Wireless Anon Masterlist!

Be our guest and check out what you might have missed! The clock hasn't ticked midnight yet, you have till the end of the week to catch up, then we'll lift the spell and reveal our fabulous artists and writers.

Have a magical week!

Your H/D Wireless Mods,

Maester Magic Carpet

Iago In Flight

Gnarf The Genie

🎙️ And don't forget to check out our Playlist!

🎵 ART

🎵 Title: Jolly Holiday (G)

Song and movie: Jolly Holiday - Mary Poppins

Summary: A lovely magical date in a sidewalk chalk drawing!

📻 Title: The Sea Witch (T)

Song and movie: Poor Unfortunate Souls - The Little Mermaid

Summary: Harry's got a problem. He knows there's one person who can help him. Well, who might help him. There'll be a price, though. The sea witch always wants something in return.

Harry thinks he's got something Draco might want.

🎵 Title: Anything your heart desires (T)

Song and movie: When you wish upon a star - Pinocchio

Summary: Harry makes a wish upon a star—well, two wishes, really.

Draco only hears the first one but he makes them both come true.

🎵 FIC

🎵 Title: I dream of you, to wake [T, 13.6k]

Song and movie: Once Upon A Dream - Maleficent (Lana Del Rey version)

Summary: “Typically coma patients are made comfortable and left to regain consciousness in their own time," Draco points out carefully.

“Typically, yes. But when has anything about Harry been typical.” Hermione sighs, rubbing at her eye with the heel of her hand. “The Healer-in-Charge has consulted with experts at all the major wizarding hospitals. They all agree. Whatever’s happening inside of Harry’s head right now is killing him.”

Draco Malfoy is a world-renowned dream-walker, and he may be Harry Potter’s only hope.

📻 Title: remember me [T, 31k]

Song and movie: Remember Me - Coco

Summary: On a chilly day in October, Draco kisses Harry goodbye before he goes on yet another dangerous, undercover mission with the Aurors.

And then Harry doesn’t come back.

Only Draco believes that Harry isn’t dead, and pours himself into finding his husband despite his friends’ pleas to move on and grieve properly. What he finds at the end of that work, though, is not at all what he wanted.

🎵 Title: Upstaged [M, 3.4k]

Song and movie: Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actors Life For Me) - Pinocchio

Summary: West End actor Drake O'Malley starts receiving fanmail from a (not so mysterious) stranger.

📻 Title: Love, and Other Nonsense [T, 6.4k]

Song and movie: I Won't Say (I'm In Love) - Hercules

Summary: Harry wasn't in love. No way. It wasn't even a crush, because it couldn't be. Surely.

Or so he thought until he found he couldn't stop thinking about a certain someone. Denial doesn't last for long when you've got a couple of helpful portraits to help realise the truth.

🎵 Title: Believe the very best [M, 10k]

Song and movie: Can You Feel The Love Tonight - The Lion King

Summary: Draco tries to convince Harry he’s the chosen one

📻 Title: Silverpoint [E, 8.8k]

Song and movie: I See the Light - Tangled

Summary: "It seems fairly simple to you, but you know that you don't really understand love - how could you, after all? You've never known how to talk about it, but you've never had to before. Everyone you ended up loving has always understood. You've been able to show them, by fighting for them, dying for them.

That seems a bit much- after all, Malfoy just wants tea in bed and his cock in your mouth (not usually at the same time).

It's ok to love him, you reason with yourself - he doesn't have to know. No one ever has to know."

Or: How Harry Potter Fell In Love (and Realised that Draco Malfoy Loved Him Back).

🎵 Title: The Ryokan [T, 1.2k]

Song and movie: How Far I'll Go - Moana

Summary: Harry is stressed and unhappy with life in wizarding London. In an attempt to help Harry relax, Draco takes him to stay in a Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn.

📻 Title: Dreaming Darkly [E, 39.9k]

Song and movie: Trust in me - Jungle Book

Summary: It's five years after the war, and Harry is not okay. He hates his job. He hates Robards. He hates Ron's promotions and Hermione's concern.

He chases oblivion in booze and weed and quick dirty fucks, but it's never enough.

Then Draco Malfoy's face comes up on the case board as a murder suspect and Harry is thrown into an investigation that will take him to dark and dangerous places and force him to question the line between dreams and reality.

🎵 Title: Of Losing Hope And Winning A War [T, 19k]

Song and movie: Be Prepared - Lion King

Summary: With the Dark Lord living in the Manor and no way to escape, Draco felt lost, trapped in a nightmare.

He couldn't know things were about to change for him. But first he had to lose all of what was left of his hope.

📻 Title: Every Leaf That Unfurls, Every Petal That Blooms [T, 6.3k]

Song and movie: So this is love - Cinderella

Summary: Draco can’t keep cacti alive, let alone flowers. None of this stops Neville Longbottom from giving him potted earth with promises of a seed nestled inside. “Don’t worry,” he assures Draco. “Harry will help.”

Which makes no sense—surely Potter’s saviour complex doesn’t extend to plants! Spoiler: it does, leading to Potter coming over to Draco’s place for dinner more frequently than ever.

Or, the one where everyone knows that Harry and Draco are dating...except them.

🎵 Title: When You Can't Find A Hero, Become One [M, 15.8k]

Song and movie: Wherever You Are - Winnie the Pooh: Pooh's Greatest Adventure

Summary: After Harry Potter's mysterious disappearance, wizarding Britain moved on. Some moved on because they didn't care, some to keep the pieces of their lives together or to be strong for their traumatised loved ones. But Draco can’t move on. He decides to do whatever it takes to find out what happened to Potter. And Slytherins are good at doing whatever it takes.

📻 Title: Strike a Good Match [T, 11.6k]

Song and movie: Honor to Us All - Mulan

Summary: Draco tries to restore honor to the Malfoy family name. Of course Potter comes along and fucks it all up

🎵 Title: Songs in the Key of Love [E, 12.8k]

Song and movie: Whistle while you work - Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Summary: Harry Potter had been irritating Draco since the day they met, and Draco thought he knew every frustrating little aspect of the man after so many years of rivalry.

But then they were paired together as Auror partners, and things got so much worse.

Apparently, Harry liked to whistle while he worked, and it was the single most annoying sound Draco had ever heard in his life.

📻 Title: Wings of Salvation [T, 42.4k]

Song and movie: I saw a dragon - Pete's dragon

Summary: After the death of his mother, Draco is left with a summerhouse he hasn’t visited since his childhood and having signed every piece of paperwork his solicitor put before him, he sets out to visit the place that holds his happiest memories.

Upon arrival, he’s met with a surprise that will change the course of his life for better or for worse. An injured Hebridean Black is sleeping in front of the door and with hopes of a new adventure, he decides to help the dragon, naming her Salus and owling his former best friend, Harry Potter to come and help him one last time.

Through foggy days and wine-filled evenings, with friends and a small muggle town on their side, they spend their time rediscovering friendship, building love and learning what it truly means to be free.

🎵 Title: For the First Time and Forever [T, 15.9k]

Song and movie: For the First Time in Forever - Frozen

Summary: After five years of isolation, Draco opens Malfoy Manor and himself up again to the Wizarding World. Harry Potter's reappearance is anything but expected.

A story about metaphorical fireworks, literal fireworks, and a succession of very annoying sentient pieces of furniture.

📻 Title: Poor Unfortunate Souls [E, 19.6k]

Song and movie: Poor Unfortunate Souls - The Little Mermaid

Summary: Draco is a potioneer. Harry's trying to save his sex-challenged marriage. Everything is a mess, but at least there's an octopus in the lobby.

🎵 Title: He's Holding Back, He's Hiding [T, 7.4k]

Song and movie: Can you feel the love tonight - Lion King

Summary: Harry and Draco are both oblivious idiots and Pansy is tired of their mutual pining.

📻 Title: What Is A True Diamond (In The Rough)? [G, 17k]

Song and movie: Prince Ali - Aladdin

Summary: Yes, this is a fic about Harry, as Aladdin, finding love in the Sultan’s successor; Prince Draco. But it is not only a story about love. It is also about freedom. And about dreams. More specifically, it’s about dreams coming true

🎵 Title: Now I see [T, 4k]

Song and movie: Reflection - Mulan

Summary: The sudden realisation hit him like a sledgehammer. This was no longer his true self. He’d changed. He would always be the son of his parents, but he was no longer the puppet of the Dark Lord, a scared little boy who tried everything to survive during a war.

📻 Title: When Did You Last Let Your Heart Decide? [E, 50.3k]

Song and movie: A Whole New World - Aladdin.

Summary: "I can show you the world."

Our world is a broken disaster. A world separated by death and devastation.

"Shining, shimmering, splendid."

Torn, darkened, burnt.

"I can open your eyes."

My eyes are watering from the smoke.

"Take you wonder by wonder."

Are you a wonder? Could you please, please take me somewhere?

🎵 Title: Dig A Little Deeper [T, 3.4k]

Song and movie: Dig A Little Deeper - The Princess and the Frog

Summary: Sometimes a second chance is all you need to move on with your life.

Sometimes that second chance comes with an unexpected friendship.

And sometimes that friend is a pain in the arse who is most certainly never going to be forgiven.

📻 Title: Green [Gen, 19.6k]

Song and movie: Not easy being Green - Muppets.

Summary: Draco is struggling to find a way to recover from the war with his life in shambles, his father in Azkaban, his house ransacked and the Magical government is struggling to recover from the loss of so many major political figures that were caught up in the war.

With the notice of the death of his Father, Draco abandons all hope of trying to fix things going forward and instead makes the final purchase necessary for his most extreme plan to fix everything that went wrong, and finds himself suddenly reliving his first year at Hogwarts.

Draco scrambles to adjust his plans only to find himself sorted into Gryffindor causing him to abandon all hope of pulling off the death of Voldemort by himself and starts reaching out to others for help as he struggles to maintain his identity as a Slytherin and Malfoy.

🎵 Title: Harry Knows Best [T, 4.2k]

Song and movie: Mother Knows Best - Tangled

Summary: Harry has always lived inside the walls of Number 4 Privet Drive. His Aunt and Uncle keep him protected from the outside world, a place full of people who wouldn't hesitate to use his magical powers to their own benefit. Harry, however, dreams with a trip to London. His dreams will become true, when a blond thief enters his house in the middle of the night.

📻 Title: Unfortunate Souls [E, 11.3k]

Song and movie: Poor Unfortunate Souls - The Little Mermaid

Summary: He was warned not to deal with the reclusive witch in Knockturn Alley as she never played fair, but when Draco finds himself backed into a corner with no way out, and his mother's life in the balance, he makes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure their safety.

🎵 Title: Don’t Keep on Pretending [Gen, 3.1k]

Song and movie: Song from Mr Ray – Finding Nemo

Summary: After a talk to fifth years about Auror training, Harry Potter stops by the Potions classroom. Chatting with Draco Malfoy about Albus and James’s performance in Potions leads to a talk about the most uncomfortable moments of their past, but maybe they can proceed from there…

📻 Title: Herbology Study #8-C [T, 3.3k]

Song and movie: Pink Elephants on Parade - Dumbo

Summary: In Neville's latest Herbology experiment, Hermione finds nargles, Ron is pumpkin juice, Harry is dramatic, and Draco saves the day.

🎵 Title: The World Has Somehow Shifted (Now That I See You) [T, 27.9k]

Song and movie: I See The Light - Tangled

Summary: Potter’s eyes soften. “I know. That’s not what I meant. I just… Just give me a chance, yeah?”

Draco looks into Potter’s vibrant emerald eyes. He can see the hesitancy and hope. Those eyes alone could undo Draco. But why should he give Potter a chance? Potter’s the one who didn’t even respond to his owls. Not even a ‘No thank you, I have better things to do.’ So why the sudden interest now?

Draco taps his fingers on the table in a rhythm of right to left, hoping he’s making the right choice. What’s the worst possible thing that can happen?

He doesn’t expect the answer to be falling in love with Harry Potter.

A story where Harry and Draco discover themselves– and each other– in the process.

📻 Title: Falling for a Golden Boy [E, 44.6k]

Song and movie: I won't say (I'm in love) - Hercules

Summary: Merlin. Why couldn’t Draco have moved to a forgotten village in the Alps? He could have turned into a shepherd, learned to make his own damn cheese and given up his damn magic. But no, he’d had to come back to his Eighth year, hadn’t he? And this was his life now. Draping himself over Potter to hear words from him that he knew Potter wouldn’t ever mean.

Great. The school year ahead of him looked simply great.

“All I know is—when I’m with you, I…” Potter, the heathen, grunted when he read the rest of his line. “Do I really need to say this?”

“What, scared of believing your own words, Scarhead?” Draco spat.

“Boys,” O’Neill warned them.

“All I—all I know is you’re the most amazing person with weak ankles that I've ever met, Meg.” Potter scowled. He was blushing again. “And when I’m with you, I feel less alone.”

Or where a drama play, a grumpy pompom and a bunch of well-intentioned friends help Draco and Harry find peace—and each other—after the war.

[goodticklebrain]

Q&A August: Kate Pitt, Pocket Dramaturg

I’m so very excited about today’s installment of Q&A August, because it means I get to formally introduce you to Kate Pitt, my pocket dramaturg and Shakespearean soulmate! I first met Kate when she saved my life by letting me crash on the couch in her hotel room before the closing banquet of the 2016 Shakespeare Theatre Association conference. It was my first conference and, by the last day, I was so sleep deprived that I could hardly function. Despite meeting me in such a ragged and incoherent condition, Kate, who was then working in Public Programs at the Folger Shakespeare Library, decided to invite me to the Folger for a public interview/talk event.

You can read up on my visit to the Folger here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. But, long story short, in Kate I found an absolutely kindred spirit. Within half an hour we were completing each others’ sentences, most because we were conversing almost entirely in Shakespeare quotes. Since then we have gone on several Shakespeare adventures together, including a long-overdue joint pilgrimage to Stratford-upon-Avon earlier this year. Despite having spent extended periods of time in close proximity, we have remained friends, which is something of a minor miracle.

Apart from being a delightful human being, Kate is also a genuine Shakespearean powerhouse, with a vast amount of both scholarly and practical Shakespeare knowledge and experience. You might have noticed that many of my recent comics have included the note “Thanks to my pocket dramaturg, Kate Pitt, for consulting with me on this comic.” This is because I quickly fell into the habit of texting Kate with random Shakespeare-related questions, like “IN HOW MANY SHAKESPEARE PLAYS DO SHEEP REGULARLY APPEAR ON STAGE?” Kate, in her infinite patience and bottomless depth of knowledge, would always promptly text me back with answers, including sources. It was like having my own personal dramaturg in my pocket.

Since then I have often brainstormed comic ideas with her, run drafts past for her approval, and asked for her help when wrestling with particularly troublesome punchlines. (Among other things, she helped me finalize the list of questions I’ve been asking everybody this month!) Creating Good Tickle Brain is a very solitary occupation, and for most of the past five and a half years I’ve been essentially operating in a vacuum. It’s been fun, but it’s also been lonely and isolating at times. Being able to bounce ideas off of Kate, and occasionally commiserate with her on the challenges of being self-employed businesswomen in the Shakespeare world, has made both my job and my life immeasurably more enjoyable.

And so, it gives me GREAT pleasure to turn things over to my pocket dramatrug!

1. Who are you? Why Shakespeare?

I’m Kate Pitt. I’m a dramaturg, writer, producer, and director. I grew up watching Shakespeare films with my parents and saw an outdoor Midsummer at the Edith Wharton house in Lenox when I was about seven. The Mechanicals drove up in a real Jeep, the fairies crept out of the actual woods (I was a city kid – trees were a big deal!), and I was hooked. I’ve also had many wonderful teachers.

2. What moment(s) in Shakespeare always make you laugh?

Orlando forlornly waving his arm and saying “It is my arm”? I’M THERE. A really good (bad) Viola-Sir Andrew fight? SIGN ME UP. Benedict being terrible at hiding? THE BEST. Pyramus’ never-ending death? I LOVE IT. The physical comedy in the plays always makes me laugh. There are lines of text that I almost always laugh at, but I’ve been more delighted when those bits are reinterpreted in ways that sacrifice the laugh, but gain something more interesting in its place. Olivia’s wide-eyed “most wonderful!” is a war-horse, but I once heard it delivered with quiet awe rather than schtick and it was shockingly beautiful. “The dead can live again” rather than “another one!”

Mya interjects: Ok, yes, I also love “It is my arm.”

3. What's a favorite Shakespearean performance anecdote?

A Winter’s Tale where the bear was a puppet, and entered down the aisle sniffing at the audience as it slowly stalked Antigonus. The bear nosed at the handbag of an old lady in the front row and growled at her. She growled right back.

Mya interjects: Don’t mess with old ladies’ handbags.

4. What's one of the more unusual Shakespearean interpretations you've either seen or would like to see?

The opening speech of Richard III done as Bunraku puppet theater, but with a person as the puppet. It showed the pain of being “unfinished” so beautifully while also being horrifying and incredibly funny. This Richard was so close to being a person (“a real boy!”) but knew that he lacked some essential, animating humanity and made a conscious decision to hurt people because of it.

5. What's one of your favorite Shakespearean "hidden gems"?

I love watching the characters on the sidelines – the ones who aren’t the center of attention but are telling incredibly rich stories with their silence. Margaret in Much Ado is a great example and I always watch her when the Prince explains why he thinks Hero is disloyal. Margaret knows in that moment that the ruined wedding is her fault but she says and does…nothing. Aufidius and Isabella also have whole histories in stillness.

6. What passages from Shakespeare have stayed with you?

I’ve had Henry V’s “upon the king” and the Scrivener from Richard III on my mind – the responsibility of leadership and the realization of its corruption – but my favorites are the ones I think as my own thoughts and it takes a minute to figure out where they came from. i.e. on a hiking trip in the pouring rain, carrying a heavy pack, and staring up at switchback #492, I thought, “Blow, wind! come, wrack! At least we'll die with harness on our back!” It took until the top of the mountain to figure that one out.

Mya interjects: If you’re not familiar with the Scrivener from Richard III (and there’s no reason why you should be,  since his scene is almost always cut), his one speech goes as follows:

SCRIVENER Here is the indictment of the good Lord Hastings, Which in a set hand fairly is engrossed, That it may be today read o’er in Paul’s. And mark how well the sequel hangs together: Eleven hours I have spent to write it over, For yesternight by Catesby was it sent me; The precedent was full as long a-doing, And yet within these five hours Hastings lived, Untainted, unexamined, free, at liberty. Here’s a good world the while! Who is so gross That cannot see this palpable device? Yet who so bold but says he sees it not? Bad is the world, and all will come to naught When such ill dealing must be seen in thought.

I’ve never gotten over the beauty of this line from Pericles – silence may be the perfectest herald of joy, but if you must use words, these ones are pretty great:  

“Give me a gash, put me to present pain, lest this great sea of joys rushing upon me o’erbear the shores of my mortality and drown me with their sweetness.”

7. What Shakespeare plays have changed for you?

All of the plays have changed as I’ve gotten older, but the ones that deal with grief have altered the most. A friend died suddenly when we were eighteen and I reached out for Cleopatra and Constance without consciously knowing why. My father died five years later, and by then I knew that I would find some kind of recognition in the plays and I deliberately went to them. The words were always beautiful, but now I knew what they meant. I must have heard Claudius’ “that father lost, lost his” speech a hundred times but never understood the obscenity of telling someone “the right way” to grieve until someone did it to me. Cordelia comforting the confused and frightened Lear sits close to my heart now, and Ophelia’s madness has method in’t. Hamlet’s “mirror up to nature” didn’t tell me what I’d see or how to respond, but it allowed me look at myself and observe both the shadow of my sorrow and the thing itself when I needed it most.

8. What Shakespearean character or characters do you identify the most with?

Beatrice. I love her wit, her walls and her willingness to climb over them, her delight in her friends’ happiness and her white-hot fury at their pain.

Mya interjects:  Can confirm, Kate is totally Beatrice.

9. Where can we find out more about you? Are there any projects/events you would like us to check out?

You can follow me on Twitter @katepitt and keep up with me on my website www.katepitt.com.

(Back to Mya)  Thanks so much to Kate not only for answering the questions she helped me come up with, but also for being an unfailingly helpful creative and emotional outlet. Get thee a Kate.

COMING NEXT WEEK: A wonderful woman who is training small children to become the next generation of Shakespeare geeks, and two Shakespeare geeks who regularly act like small children! 

[mayhemories]

Braids & War Paint (Part 2)

Notes on:

Part 1:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Rowan Whitethorn had been many places, he’s traveled to every direction, climbed a plethora of mountains, has lived in cities that are nothing more than dirt now and nothing he’s seen will compare to the wildness of Terrasen and it’s people. Wild in the fact the citizens of Terrasen have such a connection to their home, the air is cleaner when everyone cares for it. It reminded him of Mistward. 

 Galan Ashryver had not expected Rowan’s presence on this journey, Queen Maeve wanted to send someone wrapped in her flag, to try and “mend broken relations” between her and her kin across the sea. Rowan Whitethorn was utterly sick of Doneralle and volunteered to leave. He was so anxious to see the capital that Rowan pushed their traveling party forward with intense wind. Their horses made it in record time, apparently. 

 The Galathynius’ were…nice. Orlon and Rhoe were very charming, very warm to their guests- Rowan included. But it was the Terrasen Ashryver’s that surprised him, Evalin had all the same features that Galan too carried. Save for hair. Aedion Ashryver was a spitting image of Galan, though his hair was fair like his Aunt. And Gods, the two bloodlines that made Aelin Ashryver Galathynius of the Wildfire. Tall, lean, extended fae limbs. She was impeccably beautiful, she knew it too. Long golden hair, golden skin, chiseled features. She was all muscle under velvet skin… and those eyes, the Ashryver eyes of legend old, blue with the core of gold. Rowan decided that she wore those eyes the best. 

As the kin talked throughout luncheon Rowan kept quiet, eating cocktail sandwiches and drinking bubbled water. He’s focus seemed to stray from the conversation a lot, his eyes wandered and they always found her again. Sometimes she would catch his gaze, smirk and return back to the conversation. Rowan has had serious lovers in the past, he’s had flings and one night stands but never has he felt the feeling of intrigue. She intrigued him, it wasn’t even in a romantic way. The way the Crown Princess conducted herself was like nothing Rowan had ever seen, her opinion was there to be heard. She laid her deck of cards for everyone too see, even a chosen warrior from a broken kin. He’s never seen so much metal strapped to a royal so casually, no Terrasen guard seemed alarmed. A belt of daggers were strapped around her waist, a golden sword at her left hip, cuffs of small knives sat snugly at her thin wrists. Rowan was taken aback by how much of his thoughts were revolving around the princess. Though, Rowan didn’t try to change his train of thought. 

“Your quarters, Prince Rowan.” Rowan thanked the young maid before she quickly skited off. 

 They weren’t modest quarters, the bedroom was airy and decorated with whites, greys and rich greens. Rowan ran his hand across the light stone walls that reflected the sun around the room. He dropped his luggage on the dark wooden floors with a thud. A large four poster bed sat against the eastern wall, a desk, an eating table and a large armoire were placed in the room, all made out of the same dark wood. The washroom was double the size of his Doneralle one, a large tub made out of light stone that had been polished so that Rowan could see his face in it. Large basin, large mirror… everything was oversize and grand and overwhelming. 

 Satisfied with his new quarters, Rowan sat at the writing desk and began to pen a letter to his queen. It was a short synopsis about travel, the cities he’s seen and of course the royal family. He couldn’t have been more than two paragraphs in until a laugh like a crackling fire in the winter filled his ears, it was warm and inviting giggle that he could only peg to one woman. 

 Rowan ripped open the curtains by his shoulders, white doors that lead to a balcony stared back at him. Before Rowan knew what he was doing the balcony doors opened and he stepped out. No more than five feet away sat Aelin Galathynius, reading on her own balcony. Her room was directly across the way from Rowan’s. Mab, Mora and Maeve burn him.

“Hello neighbor! No one has been in that room in a long time.” The Princess said, folding a corner of her page down and placing the novel on the table near her. A massive golden hound was curled at her feat, the both of them soaking up the last few hours of the late afternoon sun. 

 "You might be disappointed, I have a reputation of being a bad neighbour.“ Rowan quipped, leaning against the railing. They would have to be at least sixteen levels up. They were the top, there were no other balconies overhead. 

"I’ll be the judge of that. I’ve never lived in close quarters with a brooding fae warrior.” To his dismay, Rowan smirked at her charming voice…more the comment than her but the lines blur somewhere. 

“I would argue that your cousin seems to be of the brooding type.” The banter flowed effortlessly between the two, she laughed again at the blow of her cousin, Aedion Ashryver, The Wolf of the Wild North. 

“Wait til’ dinner, there isn’t room for two Ashryver males in this castle.” Her long legs were clothed in tight black pants, they seemed to go on for miles as she walked closer to her own railing, leaning against it, mimicking Rowan’s earlier actions. 

 "I don’t think I can handle a pissing contest.“ 

"Are you sure you won’t join in? After all, it’ll be a contest over my attention.” Rowan rolled his eyes, he forgets how young they all are; Galan, the oldest out of the bunch was a steely twenty-five, Aedion was twenty-three and Aelin was only just eighteen. He expected her to be much older. It embarrassed Rowan how little he knew of Terrasen and their rulers. 

 "I’m your neighbor now, aren’t I? I’ll have your attention more often.“ Aelin’s eyes burned with something Rowan hadn’t seen in a long time, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Pushing off her rail, the princess collected her book and whistled up her hound, Fleetfoot and walked to her door. Rowan stayed dead still, as if she was a doe he’d scare away. She turned and faced him at the twin of his door. 

"It’s been interesting, Prince Rowan. Terrasen welcomes you.” And Rowan didn’t know whether it was him or the moment or his tiredness, but he called out to her before she crossed into her threshold of gossamer curtains. 

“Rowan. Just Rowan.”

 The last thing he saw was her heart cleaving smile. Rowan decided that he would own a letter to Fenrys too, let him know of the golden jewel he found in the antler crown of the Wild North. 

Aelin loved fashion, adored fabrics and dresses. Just enjoyed dressing up, even when there was no real event to get dressed up for. But now, Aelin had her excuse, they had company. Important company that she should impress, Galan’s trip is very diplomatic after all. Fixing severed ties and all that… It didn’t help that a very handsome fae warrior was on her door step.   

When Aelin was in Eyllwe learning more about the country she met the Crown Princess, Nehemia Ytger. Nehemia is only a year older than herself, they had become best friends instantaneously. For Aelin’s recent name day, Nehemia had sent a dress for Aelin, she was saving it for something big, but Aelin had very little self restraint.   

She dressed in the emerald green of Terrasen’s forests, it was intricate dress that had been hand made for her. Chiffon that fell into small pleats, the waistband had a large metal embellishment to draw your eyes down from the ropes that held the bodice together. It was art, physical art that Aelin draped over her lean body.   

Aelin’s chambermaids braided her long hair, she wore it like this when she went into battle or was training, though, she supposed, the dinning room would be as tense as a battlefield. All the lords and ladies sweating bucketloads under the gaze of Rowan Whitethorn. 

“Well don’t you look devastating.” Aelin’s best friend, Lady Lysandra of Caraverre stated, linking the two girls’ arms as the walked down the winding halls to the dining room. Lysandra was a young shapeshifter who Aelin hated grotesquely when they were younger, until the battles against the Yellowlegs did Aelin and Lysandra connect. They fought side by side, for a long while Aelin suspected the carranam bond between them. Nothing came to pass besides a beautifully strong friendship. 

“As do you, who are you impressing?” Lysandra had her dark locks curled and pined up in a cornet, wearing a navy embellished dress, that flowed to her ankles, her lips were painted a dark scarlet. 

“I’m not impressing anyone, just causing Aedion to fall in love with me all over again.” They laughed together as the dining room’s massive oak doors opened, they were the last to arrive. 

Aelin’s uncle sat at the head of the table, her parents on either side of him. To Aelin’s Dismay, Galan was sitting in the seat opposite her own, the Far prince was further down the table, near Lord Allsbrook and Lady Elide. 

Aelin took her seat, and the serving began.

“You look lovely.” Galan smiled at her from across the table. She thanked him, the sound of boredom dripped off her tongue and soon after Aelin felt the little pinch on her leg, her mother retracted her hand from her thigh liked nothing happened. It was a warning Aelin had since she was a child: Play nice. 

Playing nice wasn’t Aelin’s forte.

“Your journey must have been long.” Aelin stated, Galan looked almost confused that she was making direct conversation with him. She placed her elbow on the table, propping her head on her open palm.  

“I-uh…yes. The ocean became very isolating.” Galen stuttered, Aelin leaned forward, almost urging him to go on without words. Her parents and her uncle’s attention were now peaked by the topic. 

From the corner of her eye a certain fae prince had the tips of his sensitive ears twitching. Listening in on the blandest conversation Aelin had anything to do with, Dorian Havilliard’s cooking had more godsdamned flavour than this dinner party. 

“We had an Mycenian escort off the coast of Terrasen.” Galan smiled again, his dark eyebrows shot up when doing so. 

“Our precious Aelin stitched up the Terrasen ties with the Mycenians, if it weren’t for her you would’ve had no escort.” Orlon quipped, the whole table was listening now, even though the loudest noise in the room was the cutlery. 

Aelin realised that Galan expected her to be…embarrassed, blushing maybe?

Smug was a better word for it, the princess leaned back in her ornate chair, she’d encouraged the talk about her, besides, ‘Aelin’ was the best topic Aelin could think of. 

“Oh really, that must have been a very tense conversation.” Aelin shook her head, Galan was too much of a politician.   

“I used threats and force. It wasn’t a conversation at all.” 

With that statement, Aelin looked to her right, Rowan Whitethorn raised an eyebrow.  

Aelin winked back. 

AN: this is slow and boring but I really want to take my time with Aelin and Rowan in this fic, I’m so sorry if they seem OOC but… too late now I’m committed to this story. Yeah, The whole thing will be from alternating POV’s. Please tell me your thoughts and ideas about this fic, message me, let me know! Anyways, thank you for the support. Much love, 

-El.

[anthonianrhapsody-blog]

And the Best MCU Film is...

by Captain

Admit it. When the leaked footage of the Avengers: Infinity War trailer came out, you did one of four things:

1. Weep like a baby when Peter said “I’m sorry” to Tony; 2. Scream your lungs out when Steve (beard and all) came out; 3. Let out a big “oooohhhh” when Thanos hurled down that planet; 4. All of the above

As a crossover of 10 years’ worth of cinematic storylines, this mega-event of a movie is unprecedented. Before Infinity War drops next May (which is just 7 months away, but it SURE feels like an eternity away), let’s tackle a question that will trigger debates, challenge friendships, and even put marriages (!) to the test.

What is the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Before you blast this blog away with a Jericho missile (hats off to you if you got that reference), the writer would like to set a few parameters.

First, I’ll make it a top 5 list for better chances of acknowledging your favorite. Okay? Y’all happy?

Second, this article will cover only the first 16 MCU films—that is, the ones that have already been released at the time that this article has been published. Unfortunately, I have no Ancient One-like powers to look into the future. My list might very well be obliterated by upcoming flicks like Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther (watch out for the reviews! ☺). Also, I won’t be factoring in TV and Netflix content like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Defenders series. Different medium, different criteria.

Lastly, and speaking of criteria, allow me to declare my standards for film quality. (Feel free to argue with my rubrics in the comments section, but this is my list, so tough luck.) My biggest considerations are plot and characterization. As in, how good is the story that unfolds in the film? How developed are the character arcs and motivations, and why should I care about them? I also care about effectiveness of acting, visual spectacle, quality of shots and editing, and impact of auditory effects.

With that out of the way...

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Captain America: Civil War (epic airport scene vs. wildly impossible coincidences); Avengers: Age of Ultron (messy in places, but it’s just a special thing when Avengers assemble); the first Thor film (an underrated movie...shout-out to Tom and Kenneth)

Raise your right hand if you knew who Star-Lord and Gamora were three years ago. Raise your left hand if you were also aware that they were not in the original Guardians line-up in the comics. No hands raised? Then you’re just like the thousands of moviegoers who were pleasantly surprised by this franchise in 2014. With the careful handling of director James Gunn, this movie featuring C-list Marvel heroes captured the hearts of comic book die-hards and casual MCU fans alike. Guardians’ strongest suit is its comedy—Rocket Racoon’s unstoppable mouth, Drax the Destroyer’s dry humor (made special by wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista), and Peter Quill’s dancing-out-of-nowhere in the movie’s climax. And of course...I am Groot, ‘nuff said.

Throw in the brilliance of the film’s color palette and the soundtrack known as “Awesome Mix Vol. 1,” and you could say that it’s hard to find fault with this flick. But I do have (gasp!) a minor gripe. The film’s third act is all about the Guardians protecting the planet of Xandar from Ronan the Accuser, who wields the might of the destructive Power Stone. Problem is, the Xandarians weren’t given quite enough screen time. Every time I watch the film, I think to myself, “Who are these guys?” Sure, there are images of Xandarian families and children scurrying for their lives, but I just wish the development of these ‘sympathetic’ figures had been better.

That, frankly, is my only problem with an otherwise colorful, highly lovable film. As you’ll see, the next film did not commit the Xandar mistake.

#4: ANT-MAN (2015)

“So I’m at this art museum with my cousin Ignacio, right? And there was this, like, abstract impressionism exhibit. But you know me, I’m more like a Neo-Cubist kind of guy...”

Impossible as it sounds, these lines managed to make people laugh. Thanks, Michael Peña! Just like Guardians, the 2015 flick Ant-Man proved that Marvel Studios can do comedy effectively. Beyond its penchant for humor—as well as its dazzling array of museum-worthy visual effects—Ant-Man also got story-telling right. Any human being can relate to Scott Lang’s quest for redemption after his three-year prison sentence. The film tugs at your heartstrings every time Scott interacts with his daughter Cassie. And the film makes you hold your breath during the climax, when Scott sacrifices himself to save Cassie from the villain Yellowjacket. (Spoiler: Scott survived.)

Yellowjacket, however, is a testament to the widely discussed “MCU villain problem.” For all the wonderful heroes that Marvel Studios has brought to life, there is also a legion of antagonists that the MCU films have failed to maximize. In Ant-Man, Darren Cross is a rather menacing jerk (thanks to a great performance by actor Corey Stoll). But his screen time as Ant-Man’s evil counterpart could have been fleshed out and extended. As it was, Yellowjacket became just another dispensable villain to join the likes of Ultron, Ronan the Accuser, and Malekith.

But Ant-Man still succeeds because it makes you care greatly about Scott and Cassie. And it is precisely because of this that this film is ranked above Guardians. When you compare the two films, it’s easier to care for a human father and his innocent little daughter than an entire planet of unknown, unfamiliar beings.

#3: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)

I have to be honest: the subtitle did not work out for me at first. When Marvel and Sony announced that they would be sharing Spidey’s film rights (hallelujah), I was hoping for a comic book-inspired title. Like Sensational Spider-Man or Peter Parker: Spider-Man. I know that the term “Homecoming” has several connotations (such as the Spider-Man character being welcomed back to the fold of Marvel Studios), but it just isn’t fierce enough for a superhero film.

Trust me, that’s about as much I’ll complain about this movie. Because everything else was...amazing.

To begin with, Tom Holland is the perfect actor for the title role. He brought a more youthful vibe to the Peter Parker persona than Tobey Maguire. And he embodied a more light-hearted, wittier Spider-Man than Andrew Garfield. As remarkable as young Mr. Holland’s performance was, the film’s showstopper was veteran actor Michael Keaton. Finally, a well-rounded villain! Keaton brought emotional depth to the role of Adrian Toomes/Vulture, who is effectively portrayed as a blue-collar worker wronged by society’s elite. The rest of the crew is just as outstanding. Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) is used in just enough doses as the hero’s mentor. Jacob Batalon is hilarious as Ned, the techie best friend; while Zendaya is quirky as the mysterious Michelle persona (eventually revealed to be...wait for it...MJ).

Distinguishing itself as a teen movie, Homecoming is a refreshing selection among the grittier grown-ups of the MCU. Take your pick of adolescent drama: Peter’s fixations on his crush, the thrills and frills of weekend parties, the suspense of inter-school competitions. Indeed, this film offers a new flavor among the political thrillers and world-ending catastrophes of Captain America and Thor. The plot keeps you on the edge of your seats from beginning to end (though the climactic battle could have been more, um, climactic). Even the mid-credits scene keeps you fascinated in what happens next (hello, Sinister Six).

This is how good Homecoming is: up until earlier this year, I had a different top 5 list. Captain America: Civil War was on it. When Homecoming came out, Spider-Man swung all the way into my top 3. Tom Holland and co. were so good that there are only two films that they did not displace in my nerdy Marvel heart.

#2: AVENGERS (2012)

Assemble.

This might be more of a sentimental pick—I know that several critics would have Guardians at this spot—but I’m listening to my nerdy heart. In Avengers, several effective elements come together. The best part, of course, is the unprecedented, seamless merging of characters and plot lines. Marvel heroes from a 3-year period of films come together to protect humanity from intergalactic threats. If you faithfully watched the solo Marvel films before viewing Avengers, you were duly rewarded with a satisfying conclusion to Phase 1. If you watched Avengers in isolation, you would still be captivated with the colorful adventure of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

And oh boy, how the sparks fly! Even before a single fist landed on a Chitauri cheekbone, the in-fighting among the heroes was fun to watch. The verbal showdown between Cap and Iron Man was fascinating—enough to get everyone excited for a possible Civil War (which happened). Thor vs. Hulk and Thor vs. Tony were exciting heavyweight fights, and the mind-controlled exploits of Hawkeye (who eventually turned into a protagonist) added an extra layer of conflict.

Speaking of conflict, the plot’s intensity keeps the audience hooked from start to finish. The film opens with a car-blowing, Tesseract-grabbing heist perpetuated by Loki, the best MCU villain to date. The action sequences that follow—which include the forest duel and the Helicarrier fiasco—are visual stunners. The climactic Battle of New York is made even more hearstopping when the Avengers have to deal with the alien invasion and the nuclear missile out of nowhere. By the time Mr. Stark wakes up after his heroic sacrifice (with Hulk’s thunderous voice as the alarm clock), the viewer smiles ear-to-ear, satisfied that the good guys prevailed.

We haven’t even touched on the excellent cast—from Downey to Evans, Hiddleston to Ruffalo—as well as the fantastic effects and brilliant musical score. My only nitpick would be the slowing down of the film’s pace during certain expository parts. Perhaps Natasha’s conversation with Dr. Banner could have been just a tad shorter. Other than this, though, I am satisfied with Joss Whedon’s work to the point of considering Avengers a top-of-the-mountain film.

But not the top film.

#1: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)

I will argue all day, any day with anyone who disagrees.

The second Captain America installment is second to none in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, The Winter Soldier is the MCU’s standard-bearer for film quality.

Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of this film is its realistic approach. All the elements of The Winter Soldier make you believe that a “super soldier”—the stuff of comic book lore—can actually trade fists and save lives in a true-to-life episode of political espionage. Chris Evans gives justice to a highly conflicted Cap, who finds his classic American ideals challenged by 21st century US military “values.”

The action sequences are exquisite. The moment you see Cap deliver a spinning heel kick to a pirate (hello, Georges St-Pierre!), you know it’s going to be special. My favorite scene in the entire film was the elevator scene, in which Steve fights about a dozen Hydra henchmen by himself...and wins. The final act of the film is packed with suspense as Cap attempts to deactivate Hydra’s three Helicarriers designed for mass eliminations. But standing in his way—literally, they stood face-to-face on a very narrow passage—is the Winter Soldier, who is revealed to be Steve’s best friend Bucky. Cheesy as it may have been, the line “I’m with you till the end of the line” was a nice touch to the Cap/Steve vs. Winter Soldier/Bucky plotline.

Comrade Barnes may have been the cybernetically-enhanced villain, but Alexander Pierce was a great antagonist as well in the role of the slimy, intelligent bureaucrat. Robert Redford (God bless his kindred soul) proved in this film that he can out-act any performer that Hollywood has to offer. Memorable performances also came from Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow, and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson.

As garnish, the Russo brothers added touches of humor and cleverness. Like the running joke of Steve telling Sam “I’m on your left,” or the subtle graveyard reference to Samuel L. Jackson’s role in the cult classic Pulp Fiction, or Steve’s list of pop culture items (Star Wars and Star Trek, anyone?). Indeed, Messieurs Joe and Anthony deserved the call to direct Civil War and the Infinity films.

I can only hope that Infinity War and its sequel (Gauntlet, perhaps?) will live up to their gargantuan hype. But don’t get me wrong: I am highly confident because the directors proved how excellent an MCU film can be when they made Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Dear readers, what’s your top 5 list? Do you agree or disagree with the list presented above? Let us know in the comments below!

[pastordorry-blog]

Called to Be Neighbors and Witnesses

Lent Week 3

Matthew 5:43-48

March 24, 2019

           We’ve been talking the last several weeks about God’s will.  Since we pray for it every week as we recite the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, it seemed like a good idea for us to get some clarity about what we are really praying for, and be sure we really mean what we are saying!  In the gospel of Matthew, right before Jesus gives his disciples the Lord’s prayer, he tells them, “When you pray, do not keep babbling like the pagans.”  Matthew 6:7 has also been translated, do not heap up empty phrases, or do not repeat vain petitions.  We do not want the Lord’s Prayer to be a bunch of empty phrases, or babbling, or vain repetitions.  We want to leverage the power of this prayer!  When we end the prayer with the word, “Amen”, which means, I agree, or more accurately, this I vow—I know the people of Lima mean it.  We are vowing to do God’s will every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer.  

But, if you haven’t noticed already, God’s will is a mystery that we can only partially understand. It is not easy to define and articulate!  I was particularly thinking about this a couple weeks ago, reading yet again another news post about anti-Semitism in America.  I knew I wanted to address God’s will for us as it relates to our dealings with people of other religions, because this is a real-life issue for us.  Our key verse on the front of the bulletin this week is one we probably all have memorized:  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)  We call this the Great Commission, and it is our marching orders as disciple of Jesus Christ.  Yet despite two thousand years of evangelism and witness, only about 1/3 of the world’s population identifies as Christian.

We know God’s ultimate will is that, one day in the future, Christ is going to come again, and according to the book of Revelation, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord. But for now, we live in a religiously diverse society.  What is God’s circumstantial will for us?  Given the reality of so many other competing religions, what should we do?  One strategy is to move toward isolation. Some communities, such as the Amish, do this in an extreme way.  Another strategy is to water things down and conclude, “We’re all the same.”  Most Christians reject both of those pathways, at least in theory.  We want to love others as neighbors and friends, even as we retain our distinct beliefs.  Our United Methodist Social Principles contain a resolution detailing this commitment, to be both neighbors and witnesses.

The resolution is important, because, we have, inadvertently, become somewhat isolationist.  I have had many conversations over the years with church members, encouraging them to invite their friends to worship—and the response I get is, “But Pastor Dorry, all my friends already go to church!”  What could I say to that?  I’m glad people have Christian friends!  But maybe we should be trying to make some new friends.  Maybe it would do us good to intentionally befriend some people who are quite a bit different from us.  Not only would that help us build community, I think it might help us better define and articulate what it is about our faith that matters so much.  One of the boys in my son’s cub scout troop was Jewish, and one time he told me, “My faith has served me well over the years.”  Then he proceeded to tell me what he valued most about being Jewish.  It really impressed me, and made me wonder how many Christians could do something similar.  

Christianity was born in to a religiously diverse world. Its immediate roots of course are Judaism.  But get out of Jerusalem, and right away there were other faiths, and of course, as the gospel spread throughout the Roman empire, it was one option among hundreds of religions.  This has always been a source of difficulty.  In the early church, violence and hatred and persecution were a part of things from almost the very beginning.  Later, it was the Christians who took up the sword, mostly against Muslims, in the Crusades. It would take an historian hours to name for us all the religiously inspired wars over the years.  Violence and hatred in the name of God continue, in heartbreaking ways, in our world today.

That any person of faith would think that hatred is God’s will is pretty troubling.  And especially that any Christian would think hatred is God’s will.  If there is anything we know about God’s will, it is this:  It is God’s will that we love one another (John 13:34).  This the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples on the night he was arrested and is the reason we call Holy Thursday, “Maundy Thursday”, from the Latin word mandatum, or commandment.  Jesus’ command, God’s will, is that we love one another.  The two central obligations of our faith are to love God with our whole beings, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  And Jesus did not mean just the nice neighbors!  It is laid out very clearly for us in this gospel lesson, that we are called not only to love the neighbors we agree with, the ones who are easy to get along with, or the ones who love us.  We are called to love ALL our neighbors.  Even our enemies.  

But what about people who aren’t our enemies exactly, but they aren’t our friends, either?  Can you picture someone like that?  Maybe a family member whose choices you don’t agree with, who consumes more than their fair share of resources or commands more than their fair share of attention. Or maybe you have a co-worker like that, or even someone with you in this room right now!  You want to love them—but they are WRONG about so many things. Can you picture a person like that?

I sure hope so, otherwise I’m preaching a sermon that only I need to hear!  There’s a country song by Lee Brice, “I’m Hard to love, hard to love, I don’t make it easy.  I couldn’t do it if I stood where you stood.”  We can all imagine a hard to love person, and if we’re honest, we know it’s true of ourselves at times, too!  I think we can get some comfort from verse 45.  “I cause the sun to rise on the evil and the good.  I send the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.”  God’s love and provision extend to all people.  Not just the ones who agree with us or who like us! Thanks be to God for being all good, all the time!  

But after those words of comfort, Jesus goes on to challenge us to love better.  To love perfectly. Whew! Talk about a tall order. But loving God and neighbor perfectly is God’s will. That is God’s intentional will for us—what God wanted for us from the very beginning.  That is God’s ultimate will for us—what we will one day be able to do.  And it is God’s circumstantial will that we be working on it!  Or as John Wesley would say, we are “going on to perfection”.  We are called to be growing closer to God so we can love ourselves and our neighbors the way God loves us.  

It’s interesting how many people have fought wars for PURITY, so that a whole people would love and worship the same way.  But what God really wants is PURITY in each of our hearts, an ability to love that not only tolerates differences but blesses them!  Pray for your enemies.  We are called to transcend our conflicts, in part by respecting and even celebrating differences.

Have you heard that line, “God loves you, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”? It’s true!  The gospel of John says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.” The world—the whole world!  The Greek word there is ha cosmos.  The entire creation, the entire population, the good, the bad, the ugly is loved by god. Everyone.  God loves all people, and that is why God sent his son Jesus.  

I grew up singing, “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world.”  But I want to tell you that, this week I realized that somehow along with that, I also absorbed the idea that God loves some people more than others, and that means it is okay for me to love some people more than others, too. Not that anyone ever said it so explicitly.  I learned it because that is how people acted.  I got the idea that God’s love has a hierarchy:  God loves Christians the most, and then Jews, and then maybe people of other faiths. And then there are probably some bad people God doesn’t love at all.

This may sound shocking to you, but I don’t think it’s uncommon.  When someone in my little dairy farming community bought a Japanese car in the early 1970’s, that was very controversial!  On paper maybe God loved everyone equally.  But the assumption was that everyone stilled hate the Japanese for what they did to us in World War II.  Many people thought it was okay to be mad at them, we certainly didn’t want to help them profit and flourish, and that seemed to me the prevailing “righteous” view.  

Here’s another example.  A few years ago I went to a preaching workshop the required staying in a college dorm with shared bathrooms.  I met a woman from Canada with beautiful red hair; all of us in the ladies’ room admired it.  But the woman from Canada said, where I come from, it’s not a source of admiration. It’s a source of shame.  Being a ginger gets you picked on.  She hated her red hair and felt terrible for passing it on to her children.  In theory she knew God loved her.  But her lived experience was, God loves red heads less than other people; it’s okay to pick on or treat certain people as less than because of some arbitrary characteristic.

This has given me a lot to think about.  I admit to you today that I do not have a single Muslim friend.   One-fourth of the world’s population identifies as Muslim, and I don’t know a single one. There is an Islamic Center in West Chester, and when I did some reading this week on their website, I was really impressed.  I am going to reach out to them.  I admit to you today that, although I don’t want this to happen, I sometimes have unkind immediate thoughts about certain groups of people.  That is racism.  That is sin. I admit to you today that I have had an unconscious belief, that God loves certain people more than others.  I admit to you today that I feel called to sort through the remnants of that belief, and see how it continues to influence me today.  

I like to plan worship well in advance, but honestly, I never really know where a sermon is going to take me until I sit down and write it.  As I anticipated this week, I thought I would feel convicted to draw my circle wider and get to know some “non-church” folks.  But as I worked on the sermon, I got convicted in an even bigger way.  I felt like God was holding a mirror in front of me and I could see things this week that I never saw before, and it was scary. Kind of like trying on a swim suit at the mall.  Do I look as bad in real life as I do in this dressing room?  I saw ugliness in my heart.  Maybe you are seeing some in your heart, too.  

So let me use this opportunity to assert one of our distinctively Christian beliefs:  God loves you, and there’s nothing you can do about it!  Nothing can separate us from God’s love for us, including our sin.  God is here today to give us a fresh start.  We call that fresh start grace.  It is what makes the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous, and the sun to shine on the good and the evil.  This grace is available to us in its most potent form in the person of Jesus Christ.  This grace turns us from God’s strangers into God’s friends, and calls us to go and do likewise.  Amen.

[gracewithducks]

“You cannot sit apart.” - Nelson Mandela (Ephesians 4:1-6, 21-32)

Rolihlahla was born in the village of Mvezo, in South Africa.

 Growing up, Rolihlahla heard the stories of his ancestors and their struggles for freedom. Because, of course, South Africa had not always been as it was then. In 1652, Dutch settlers arrived, followed almost a hundred and fifty years later by boats full of entrepreneurs from Britain. As elsewhere, the colonizers were met with resistance from the land’s original inhabitants; there were not one but many wars of resistance. Many peoples fought, and many laid down their lives, trying to defend and protect their families and their homes, fighting for their history and for their future.

 However, again and again, the battle was lost. The settlers brought with them more advanced weapons, yes, but they also knew the value of divide-and-conquer, dealing with each tribe in isolation, and allowing fear and mistrust and old rivalries to keep their enemies from daring to unite against them.[1]

 Rolihlahla was inspired by these stories. He was inspired by the sacrifices his ancestors had made, and as he looked around him, “he dreamed also of making his own contribution to the [his people’s struggle for freedom].”[2]

 When Rolihlahla went to school – it was a Methodist school, by the way, because even then, Methodists believed in not just preaching but teaching and healing, too – at school, he was given a new name, a “Christian” name, because even Methodists can make mistakes, and because renaming was the custom at the time. What was meant by that, really, is that he was given an English name. And so Rolihlahla became “Nelson” – and this is the name by which we know him: Nelson Mandela.

 And if you’ll indulge me in a sidebar today – I found it interesting that, while this supposedly Christian name “Nelson” isn’t a biblical name, it is a significant English one. Originally a surname – a last name, meaning “Neil’s son,” the name started to grow in popularity as a given name, a first name, when it was given in honor of the British admiral Horatio Nelson.[3] This Nelson was most famous for the Battle of Trafalgar, one of the most celebrated victories in British history. Horatio Nelson led a fleet of twenty-seven British ships against thirty-three united French and Spanish ships. During the battle, in spite having the advantage, the French and Spanish lost 22 ships, without a single British ship being lost.

 The British fleet accomplished such an amazing victory because Horatio Nelson broke tradition – he tried doing something in a way it had never been done before. It was customary, when you faced an enemy, to face them line to line, parallel to one another. Instead, Nelson came at the opponent with his ships in two columns, two lines of attack – and it worked. He changed the game; he came at the problem in a whole new way – and in doing so, he beat the odds, leading his boats to defeat a much stronger and mightier foe.

 During the battle, however, Nelson was shot; he was one of the casualties of the greatest victory of his life. He won the battle, but lost his life.[4]

 I don’t know if Nelson Mandela knew any of that. I don’t know if he knew the heritage of his new name – but I do know that, so often in the story of faith, names are important. And Nelson Mandela was a man who believed the game could be changed, that “we’ve never done it that way before” doesn’t necessarily mean we never should, and that might doesn’t make right, and it’s still possible for David to defeat Goliath… and he also knew that, when you make a stand for what you believe in, it just might end up costing you dearly; there are times when you have to believe that there are victories worth living and dying for.

 Anyway, back to Nelson – our Nelson’s – story. He grew up, attending church and learning at one Methodist school after another, and his faith became an important part of how he saw himself.

 Throughout his life, Mandela increasingly found himself not quite fitting in: because he would not accept a marriage arranged for him, he ran away from his tribe and his home… but in the world beyond, he faced racism and prejudice because of the color of his skin and where he’d come from.

 I cannot begin to do justice to the long and fascinating life and struggle that shaped Nelson Mandela, but for today it is enough to say that he was the leader and voice for the fight against apartheid – against legalized, institutionalized discrimination and racism – in South Africa. Over the course of two decades, he stood for what he believed in, and as his influence grew, he was often banned from speaking publicly, arrested, and tried for a variety of supposed crimes.

Eventually Mandela found himself facing possible execution for his activities; during his trial, rather than mounting a defense, Mandela gave a speech, concluding by saying that, [The ideal of a just and free society of equals living in harmony] is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realized. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”[5]

 He did not die, but instead, the judge condemned Mandela – and two others – to life in prison.

 Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years; perhaps you know that he did, eventually, regain his freedom – but he didn’t have any reason to hope, then, that he ever would. At first, he was kept isolated, forced into hard labor and allowed but one visitor every six months. But over time, he gained more and more privileges – including the privilege of celebrating communion.

 One pastor, Father Wiggett, shares the story of one communion service in prison, where Nelson was present. Father Wiggett was accompanied by a warder, a guard, who was there not only for his protection but to monitor anything and everything that was said, to make sure no illegal or illicit communications were being passed.

 This one day, then, partway through the communion service, Mandela interrupted the pastor, saying, “Just a minute.” And he looked at the warder, the guard, and he said, “Are you a Christian?” And the guard answered, “Yes, I am.”

 And Nelson Mandela said to this jailor, “Well then, you must take off your cap, and you must come and join us. You cannot sit apart; you can’t sit there on your own… This is holy communion, and we must share and receive it together.”

 Father Wiggett remembers being stunned: “As a priest,” he said, “I didn’t think of doing that, but the political prisoner released the warder!” The guard took off his hat, and he took his place at the table with the rest of the body of Christ.[6]

 And this, friends, is why I share this story today. Nelson Mandela is, in my opinion, a saint: not because he always got it right, but because he did the best he could, to love God, to follow God, and to honor the image of God in others.

 Here was a man who had his whole life been excluded from the table – an outsider, everywhere he went, and for all the influence he gained in his lifetime, he gained it only through constantly and persistently fighting for a place at the table.

 And this is the man who looks at the guard at his prison, and says, “Welcome. Come join us. You, even you, belong here.”

 Can you hear there the best of Methodist tradition? This is why we believe in an open table table – because we believe that, no matter where we’ve come from, no matter what we look like, no matter what we’ve done, what limits others place on us – this is the one place where we all, truly, belong. Here we are equal, and here we stand on common ground: when we gather to receive the grace of God, freely offered at the table of Christ.

 Our scripture for today if from Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church – which is still another of Paul’s prison letters, which seems only fitting as we sit with Nelson Mandela, who also spent much of his life in prison, uncertain if he would ever be released, continuing even there to speak and act as faithfully as he could.

 And here in Ephesians 4, Paul writes these words: “I, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called… making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [For] There is one body and one spirit��� one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God of us all…

 “So then,” he continues, “let’s speak the truth to each other, because we belong to one another; we are members of the same body in Christ. Be angry, but do not sin… Put away bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander and malice, and… forgive one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”

 Friends, you and I know that we live in a world where we continue to divide ourselves – based on race and color and gender identity and nationality and ability so many other factors. We ourselves live in a society built over the graves of those we disenfranchised and devastated for our own sake; we live in a society where prejudices are still woven into the very fabric of our lives together.

 I don’t pretend to have all the answers today. There are no easy answers or quick fixes. But the story we find ourselves in is not just a story of prejudice and segregation and death – it’s a story of justice and reconciliation and resurrection, too.

 This is why I love World Communion Sunday: because we know, we are reminded, that we are not alone; we come to a table that extends around the world – and just because we are divided by time and distance and culture and language and on and on… what matters more is that we are united, we are one, we stand on common and level ground, when we gather at the table of Christ.

 This is where prisoner and guard break bread together. This is where slave and free drink from the same cup. This is where black and white and red and yellow and brown sit side by side by side, as one family. This is where young and old and all of us in-between, where women and men and boys and girls and those who find themselves somewhere in-between, where all of us hear the good news:

 You are welcome. You are loved. You belong here.

 Christ welcomes us today, to come as we are. And Christ invites us, today, to begin once more to become who we are called to be.

 My prayer is that we will be faithful, not just here, but when we go back out into this divided world; my prayer is that we will refuse to allow fear and old wounds to keep us apart; that we will work for reconciliation, for peace and justice both; And my prayer is that we will be the ones who look for those who are on the outside, waited to be invited in – and we will extend welcome and grace, again and again.

 You cannot sit apart, friends, so come to the table, where we find that God’s love, truly, makes us one.

  God, you know the story that surrounds us: and it’s a story of divide-and-conquer and might-makes-right, a story of brokenness and injustice and loneliness and despair. Invite us once more into your story. Transform us, and help us to transform the world, for the sake of all of your beloved ones. Make us into peacemakers, and when we lose hope, help us to believe we really will see your kingdom come. In Christ’s name we pray; amen.

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[1] Jack Simmons, “Wars of Resistance” (unpublished draft paper).  http://www.sahistory.org.za/archive/wars-of-resistance

[2] From the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s “Biography of Nelson Mandela.”

[3] “Nelson.” https://www.behindthename.com/name/nelson

[4] “Battle of Trafalgar” (Wikipedia). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar

[5] “I am prepared to die” (Wikipedia). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Prepared_to_Die

[6] “Father Wiggett by Marc Bellamy” (December 23, 2015). http://www.humansofsa.co.za/father-wigget-by-marc-bellamy/ // Kenneth M. Loyer, “Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us.”

Other References and Resources: 

“Nelson Mandela” (Wikipedia). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

Nelson Mandela Foundation, “Biography of Nelson Mandela.” https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography