The Hunger Games

Normally, if anything is popular, I tend to ignore it. If anything has a large following, has a lot of hype, and everyone and their mom is going crazy about it, I secretly loathe whatever it is. I just hate bandwagons. I hate being a sheep. I hate following the crowd. But when The Hunger Games blew up and I slowly began finding out what it was all about, I couldn't help but wonder what the big deal was. Why in the world would everyone love something that is about young people fighting each other to the death for the sake of entertainment? I couldn't let this one go so I decided to pick up book one of The Hunger Games and read it for myself.

I was already under the impression that I wouldn't be a fan but I wanted to give it a fair chance. As I read it though, I really struggled with the content. I struggled with how to feel about it and how to view it from a biblical worldview.

Let me stop there for a moment. Why should I even care about the biblical world view? Why can't I just take the book at face value and enjoy the story? Firstly, I must view everything from a biblical world view.  I can't call myself a follower of Christ and then pick and choose when I view things through His lenses. Everything I do, touch, read, and interact with has to be influenced and filtered through the Truth of God's Word. Secondly, this is a book that is about children killing each other. How could I not call that into question and deal with, not just the morality of it, but the theology behind it? How can I ignore it and not put any thought into it beyond, "Oh, that was a good story." I just can't, I have to deal with it.

The first thing I noticed about the book is that it is written in present tense. Most books are written in past tense so automatically, even with the first sentence, this book stands out. I also noticed that the book, contrary to popular belief, is not that well written. I kept in mind that the book was written for kids and thus it's at a lower reading level than I would normally read. It's easy to ignore the poor writing though, even almost forgivable, because the story itself is so intriguing.

Those are just a few minor aspects of the book that I quickly picked up on. The real issue I had with the book is the disturbing topic. Panem is a post-apocalyptic world in which the Capitol (the government) is a very brutal, communistic power over the twelve districts that make up Panem. The Capitol has full control over the districts and they don't allow anyone to forget it. That's the whole point of The Hunger Games; to remind the districts of the power the Capitol has to destroy them.

"Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch - this is the Capitol's way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. 'Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there's nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen.'"

The disturbing content doesn't end there. The Hunger Games is put on as a show, a festival, a time of celebration. Everyone outwardly ignores the fact that these children are being forced to fight to the death and that it is being publicly televised for everyone's entertainment. It's all a huge show in order to appease the Capitol and survive. It's all a show at the expense of twenty-three young lives. It is played off as an honor to be chosen but everyone knows that only one can survive and the likely hood of it being a kid from one of the poorer districts is very slim. The kids from the richer districts are well fed, well cared for, and are trained to fight in the Games, while the kids from the poorer districts work for their daily survival. Many of them go without enough food and thus enter the games already very weak and ill prepared. It's tragic if you give yourself enough time to think about it. Also, people make bets on who will be the victor. The whole attitude and approach to these Games is disturbing and anyone who might feel that this is wrong is powerless to speak about it, let alone do anything to stop it.

When the Games begin, the killing begins immediately as everyone fights for supplies, food, and water. As days go on and if there haven't been any killings and if things are getting "boring," the Gamemakers will do something that will drive the tributes out into the open and force them together. These kids are treated as puppets, as pawns in a game, and are at the will of the Gamemakers, the Capital, to make the Games as entertaining as possible. In the Hunger Games, entertainment equals killings and, in this particular game, a partially fabricated love story. Morals don't exist and, if they do, they go flying out the window as the only focus becomes survival at any cost.

However, there are two characters named Katniss and Peeta who are determined to defy the system. They choose to do good. They do kill some of the tributes but they help others, look out for each other, and subtly show their defiance for what they are being forced to do. They are not blood thirsty killers and the readers are made to feel angry and sorry for them. Even at the end when it was just Katniss, Peeta, and Cato left, I found myself rooting for Katniss and Peeta, anxiously waiting for Cato to be killed. I caught myself and was slightly horrified at the thought. Sure, Cato was painted in a negative light as he was one of the strongest of the tributes who had been trained for the Games. And who doesn't love to see the underdogs win? But Cato was just like Katniss and Peeta in the sense that he was unjustly thrown into these Games too and was just as much at the mercy of the Capitol. They were all simply fighting to survive. I brought myself back to neutral ground and finished the book with mixed feelings. What makes Katniss and Peeta better than the other twenty-two tributes? They chose good over evil. They chose love. That is a popular message, one we have heard over and over and over.

Here's my problem with this though and here is the climax of disturbance for me: in this world of The Hunger Games there is no God. With no God, there is no basis for good and there is no eternal hope. In the world of The Hunger Games goodness and hope are found within people and that can only go so far. Ultimately, there is no Good (with a capital "G") and there is definitely no lasting hope. That is the height of disturbance. Why? Because the "good" choices these kids made don't matter. Salvation can't be found in doing good. There is no point in doing good if there is no perfect God to determine what is good and to hold people accountable for their actions. This renders the good Katniss and Peeta chose to do as absolutely pointless and without basis. There is no eternal significance, no holy standard. It is simply human goodness tainted by sin. There is no hope in that. This is the climax of disturbance in The Hunger Games.

I am not saying that reading the book or watching the movie and enjoying it is wrong or sinful. If you liked The Hunger Games and you're a fan please don't read this as condemnation. It is an intriguing story and one that many people would be attracted to. It's human nature to be drawn to violent things and to want the "good" guys to win. In that aspect, The Hunger Games is a typical "good vs. evil" story and the response it has received is a very typical response. I'm not your typical person, however, and I had to take it a bit further than most people would.

My conclusion is this: I'm not jumping on this bandwagon. I most likely won't finish the series and I have no plans to see the movie. I simply don't care enough. It is definitely an interesting story, I won't deny that, but I don't see the point. The fact that it's all depending on human goodness without the sovereignty of a perfect, one true God is quite pointless and has no benefit so I see no need to continue reading. This is a personal choice and, ironically, there is no right or wrong answer. If you enjoy it, then by all means, enjoy! It's just not for me.


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By the way, if you want to read incredible writing with genius storytelling of intense action, violence, good vs evil, and eternal hope, pick up a Ted Dekker book! I promise you that it will be far better than The Hunger Games.

Baby Update

I have begun the third and last trimester of my pregnancy. Three more months sounds like a lot but that's only 12 weeks and that doesn't sound like a lot at all. So far this pregnancy has seemed to fly by but I hear the third trimester tends to crawl so we'll see how fast these last 12 weeks go.

I have begun to feel anxious thinking about how close the due date is getting and how much there is still to do. His room isn't ready let alone the house we're suppose to move into! I think about what all needs to be done and all the things we still need and it's a bit overwhelming. I want things to be done and ready well before he arrives but I don't know how realistic that is. The closer I get to his due date the bigger and more uncomfortable I'm going to get which means the harder it's going to be to get everything ready. I wish I could work on things now while I still have the energy.

My stomach has really grown in the past trimester...even in just the past month or so. I see myself in the mirror and I'm amazed at how much I just keep growing! It means he's growing and that means we are indeed approaching his birthday! He is a pretty active baby and enjoys giving me some swift kicks throughout the day amongst a ton of movement. Who knows what he's doing in there sometimes! I love feeling him move though and watching how Kyle reacts to the movements he feels makes me so happy. It reminds us that there really is a little person in there that we are so anxious to meet and get to know!

The trials that I'm facing as I enter the third trimester are aches and pains, emotional roller coasters, and the anxiousness that comes as each week passes by. My hips hurt as they widen and prepare for birth, my back hurts as my growing tummy puts more and more strain on it, my right thigh goes numb thanks to the sciatic nerve acting up, and I'm prone to bursting into tears for no reason at all. The uncontrollable hormones and crying episodes are most upsetting. It's a different kind of emotional breakdown. For one, it usually comes on really quickly and randomly. Everything will be fine, no reason to be upset, and then all of a sudden, BAM! I'm crying my eyes out. For another, I know in my head that there is no rational reason for me to be crying and yet I can't help it. I don't have control over my emotions when this happens and it's really unsettling. Even though it's totally normal and my crazy pregnant hormones are to blame, it's upsetting to feel so sad when I should be so happy. It makes me feel guilty.

So, needless to say, pregnancy is hard at times. It's strange because it's both miserable and wonderful, hard and exciting. A baby changes everything, even from the moment you find out you have conceived. Though I have had, have, and will continue to have my difficult moments, I am very thankful for how well this pregnancy has gone. Everything has been pretty normal, there haven't been a lot of worries or concerns, no ER trips, nothing out of the ordinary. It hasn't even really effected me and Kyle's relationship in a negative way as pregnancy can do sometimes. We've has some rough moments but for the most part it has just drawn us closer together. Kyle has been really great. He's been very supportive and understanding. I'm very blessed to have him as a husband and I'm confident in his ability to be a good father. Though he may be timid at first I think he's going to be very willing to help and do his part with the baby. I can't wait to see him hold our son. :)

All in all, things are going well. I may be getting more and more uncomfortable but Grayson is growing and kicking and getting ready to make his appearance...but hopefully not too soon or too late. :) And, Lord willingly, we'll be ready for him by the time June comes around. It really will be here before we know it!

A Redeemed Harlot

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations and say, ‘Thus says the LORD GOD to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite, your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born.

“When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine ornaments; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare.

“Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares the Lord GOD. “Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you,” declares the Lord GOD.

“But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing. You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors and played the harlot on them, which should never come about nor happen. You also took your beautiful jewels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them. Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them, and offered My oil and My incense before them. Also My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil and honey with which I fed you, you would offer before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened,” declares the Lord GOD. “Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me and sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire. Besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare and squirming in your blood.

“Then it came about after all your wickedness (‘Woe, woe to you!’ declares the Lord GOD), that you built yourself a shrine and made yourself a high place in every square. You built yourself a high place at the top of every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry. You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and multiplied your harlotry to make Me angry. Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and diminished your rations. And I delivered you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd conduct. Moreover, you played the harlot with the Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet even with this you were not satisfied.”’”

“How languishing is your heart,” declares the Lord GOD, “while you do all these things, the actions of a bold-faced harlot. When you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every square, in disdaining money, you were not like a harlot. You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from every direction for your harlotries. Thus you are different from those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot as you do, because you give money and no money is given you; thus you are different.”

Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD, “Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to idols, therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, even all those whom you loved and all those whom you hated. So I will gather them against you from every direction and expose your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness. Thus I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy. I will also give you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your shrines, demolish your high places, strip you of your clothing, take away your jewels, and will leave you naked and bare. They will incite a crowd against you and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. They will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. Then I will stop you from playing the harlot, and you will also no longer pay your lovers. So I will calm My fury against you and My jealousy will depart from you, and I will be pacified and angry no more. Because you have not remembered the days of your youth but have enraged Me by all these things, behold, I in turn will bring your conduct down on your own head,” declares the Lord GOD, “so that you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your other abominations.

“Behold, everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and children. You are also the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Now your older sister is Samaria, who lives north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lives south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they. As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it. Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have committed. Also bear your disgrace in that you have made judgment favorable for your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your disgrace, in that you made your sisters appear righteous.

“Nevertheless, I will restore their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, and along with them your own captivity, in order that you may bear your humiliation and feel ashamed for all that you have done when you become a consolation to them. Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to their former state, and you with your daughters will also return to your former state. As the name of your sister Sodom was not heard from your lips in your day of pride, before your wickedness was uncovered, so now you have become the reproach of the daughters of Edom and of all who are around her, of the daughters of the Philistines—those surrounding you who despise you. You have borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations,” the LORD declares. For thus says the Lord GOD, “I will also do with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant."

“Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done,” the Lord GOD declares. 

~Ezekiel 16 (NASB)


I love this chapter in the Old Testament. It is using the imagery of a harlot to describe Jerusalem's unfaithfulness to Yahweh and the covenant. I don't think it's wrong, however, to replace Jerusalem with the church or, more specifically, with us (born again believers). The first time I read this chapter I was blown away with the way it was written. It is very powerful. In the first three paragraphs you can almost "hear" the love Yahweh has for this baby found in her own blood. Then you begin the fourth paragraph and you can almost "hear" Yahweh's wrath. He is angry. You see it in the way He says, "MY gold and MY silver, which I had given to you!" And then He comes right out and says, "I have stretched out my hand against you." Yahweh is not happy. In the following paragraphs you read about how He poured out His wrath and justice on this harlot with heartbreaking statements like, "I will also do with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant." But then comes the next paragraph, the very next sentence even, that declares His faithfulness and grace. After all that this harlot has done and after Yahweh has delivered his wrath and justice upon her, He says, "I will remember My covenant with you." It's the last sentence that gets me the most.

"Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done."

I love that. Yahweh justifiably poured out His wrath on this harlot but He didn't end there. He ended with grace and forgiveness. He had made a covenant with her and when Yahweh makes a covenant, He doesn't break it.

Now put yourself in the harlot's place. Does it not become all the more powerful? Do we not at times act like this harlot? It may not be in the literal sense but in many ways we can be unfaithful. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We have all been like this harlot; unfaithful, sinful, despised, covenant breakers. We all deserve the wrath and justice that Yahweh displayed. And just like the harlot, we do not deserve the grace and forgiveness Yahweh promised.

Isn't He holy? Isn't He so incredibly holy that He would take us, lying in our own blood, naked, helpless, and forgotten, adorn us with His love, and even when we're unfaithful to Him, that He would discipline us and bring us back into the covenant with grace and forgiveness? He is so holy, so righteous, and so loving.

Every time I read this chapter I am reminded of how much I am like a harlot and of how God, in His holiness and grace, has chosen not to destroy me but to have grace on me. His wrath and justice are real and there are times He delivers or allows that wrath and justice to fall on those He loves but He always ends with grace. It has nothing to do with us but everything to do with His holiness and grace. He chooses those to condemn and those to preserve and He is completely right in doing so. How beautiful it is to experience both God's justice and His grace, His anger and His love. How wonderful it is that He allows us to know Him and that He has forgiven us for all that we have done.