Joan of Arc

I must be honest. I really don't know anything about French history. I blame some of this ignorance on my American education and I blame some of my ignorance on my apathetic attitude towards the French culture. I don't exactly know where I adopted such a sad stance on the French, but i confess my sin in an effort to redeem my new interest.

The first saint that James Martin discusses in his book is Joan of Arc, who was not only French, but was a great French military leader. Her story starts as a young girl who hears the voices of three saints. These three saints instructed Joan to save France. Through a series of events the French military, Joan of Arc and the three saints accompanying her, went into action against the English. After a couple of successful battles the French decided that they weren't in need of their living saint and let her get captured by the Burgundian army who sold her to the English.  The French's apathy for their young prophet led her to a death fit more for a witch than for a saint. The church that she revered sent her off to her death as a heretic.

All in all Joan's life looks a lot like many of the lives that have followed God rather than the cultural and theological expectations of the church. A life that is marked by the fingerprints of the Holy Spirit rather than the finger prints of current culture or theology.

It brings me to ask the question; if we are all following the Holy Spirit with our heart, mind, soul, and strength are we more apt to look like contemporary culture or theology? And if we are not looking like contemporary culture and theology what is the good of it all?

Joan of Arc was culturally and theologically contradictory for her time. I don't know much about the culture back then, but I do know that a woman who refused to dress in a man's clothing would have been completely misunderstood. Not only would she have been misunderstood, but would have been considered a heretic by the church's standard. We certainly wouldn't call her a heretic within the restoration movement but she wouldn't have been looked upon with affection.

Joan wasn't different. Joan was following what God wanted and she was confident in that way of life. Joan  trusted in the Lord. Whether you believe in saints, or whether you despise Catholics like so many protestants do, you have to admit that Joan was a real tangible example of faith. You may not believe in her story, but to look at the person of Joan you have to admit she believed in it.

James Martin recognizes that, "Joan found her way to God by learning a language that no one else could hear, and so she is the perfect model for someone on the beginning of a faith journey" (26). I would only add that I think Joan is also the perfect model for someone on the middle and the end of a faith journey as well.

My Life with the Saints

I have been wordless for over eight or nine months now. Every time I sit down to write I find myself writing nonsense. Most writers would say that I should continue to write the nonsense because I will eventually break through to the good writing. Well, after nine months of nonsense I have decided to give it up and read. Usually when I am not writing I like to read. I guess I would consider myself a reactionary writer because I tend to write in regards to something I have read or heard. I think this is the reason why I have not been writing anything of substance, because I simply have not been reading anything worth reacting too.

In June I started reading Stephen King. I also dabbled into the Boleyn books, but when I read the second in the series it tended to look and sound a lot like the first book of the series, so I gave it up. However, Stephen King captured me. I read The Stand, The Bachman series, The Black House, and started listening to the Dark Tower Series on tape. Sometime within the month of December I lost interest in King. Which is ironic because Waylon got me four more of his books for Christmas. I labored through Insomnia and half of Under the Dome and gave up.

All to say this, I have not found a spiritually refreshing book in quite a while. I have also not found a spiritually challenging book in quite a while. I think part of me has not wanted to read those kinds of books and part of me has not found any to read. It almost frustrates me that I have already read all the famous authors at Barnes and Noble, because now I really have to scrounge around on Amazon to find something to read. With all this said I am here to announce the book that I actually did find in Barnes and Noble, which is both spiritually refreshing and spiritually challenging. It is called My Life with the Saints, and it is written by James Martin, SJ.

I was drawn to this book a couple of months ago but I didn't have the funds to purchase it. Waylon and I went to B&N as part of our Valentines Day and I picked the book up and was walking to the register and then put it down on a stand of clearance Christmas cards. Waylon was looking at journals. I opened the first page and saw someone comment about how much the author writes like Merton and I was sold. I left for my trip to Naperville and started reading. The first two chapters captured me. The second chapter actually left me completely convicted and I knew that the Holy Spirit directed my to buy this book. Over the next couple of weeks I will travel with the author as he undresses his interaction with these men and women of the past. I will write on whether the Christian Church should take sainthood more seriously and why it is important to look at other parts of Christianity as well as other parts of religion to deepen our faith. I will also share with you my honest reactions and convictions from my readings.

I hope you will travel with me on this journey. I hope the blessing I have received in this book will bless and challenge you as well.