Reading Fiction in 2020
***Response to Prompt: What were your three favorite books of 2020 and why?
It goes without saying that 2020 was a very heavy year. Themes of truth versus falsehood, good versus evil, power in government, oppression and control, diversity and conformity rang loudly, amplified by the silence of solitude and isolation.
I did a lot of reading this year to endure the chaos and stillness. This year I turned to what I considered the most logical literature to mentally navigate this year. When I think back through the finished book list, three books stand out to me amongst the rest because their themes overlap with the themes of 2020 and help me process what the heck was going on. These winners are The Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), The Two Towers (Lord of The Ring), and the book of Judges (included in the Bible).
Above and beyond the pleasure of reading about the majestic scenery of Middle Earth or thrilling quidditch matches, three themes found within these books nurtured my soul and gave me some reference points to process the chaos of the year. The first two come from HP and LOTRs, the last comes from Judges.
The Battle of Good and Evil. This year seemed to be a tipping point of polarization on so many levels. It felt confusing to me when people I know and love hold your villain to be the hero and your hero to be the villain. It was very refreshing to be able to sit down and read about Harry seeking immediate revenge over his godfather’s death and having a visible human to pin the blame on. And then to have a clear mission- take the ring and throw it in the fire. It was lovely to get lost in the adventures of heroes fighting evil victoriously.
However in The Order of the Phoenix and in the Two Towers, there is also a lot of complexity that I found to be a refreshing reflection of the complexity in my own world. In the Order of the Phoenix, lack of information, misinformation, and fear spread rapidly. Those speaking the truth were alienated because the general population would rather continue with their own comfortable life than believe a truth that will at the minimum disrupt their routine and at the worst destroy them all together. Harry Potter and those who believe his truth, speak truth boldly, suffer as a result, but ultimately are proven right when evil eventually shows its ugly face more fully.
In Two Towers, we see good people following the enemy out of fear of his power or out of lust for his power. It happened over many years, they are deceived and drawn in. Evil is seductive and fear confuses the mind. The black shadow spread slowly.
As I read these two stories, it put the division of our real world in a different light, as silly as it sounds helped me analyze everything, and gave me courage to recognize the dynamics of good and evil at play all around us (even if it didn’t run around waving a wand or a staff).
Unending Hope in the Face of Despair. As I daily process how to hope and how to stand for truth amidst division, I was encouraged by the hope of the characters as they navigated hopeless situations. The global hope of the characters to pursue fighting Voldemort or destroying the Ring was encouraging, but even more the hope in individual seemingly evil human beings (or other creatures). In addition to HP and LOTR, I also read the Chronicles of Narnia (just couldn’t put the fiction down). In the midst of our cancel culture and rush to buy arms to prepare for battle on one side or another, it caught my attention that in these fictional stories, all three authors made a point to have “the good guys” honor the life of their enemies. Harry never killed anyone in the whole entire series even when it came to life or death of his loved ones and even in situations of self-defense. In Two Towers, Gandalf honors the life of both Grima Wormtongue and Saruman and he also coaches Frodo to honor Smeagol’s life, stating that he may yet have a purpose in the story.
There is an undying hope that creatures overtaken by evil can return to good. Although these are fictional stories, I enjoy being reminded that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Letter to the Ephesians). The fictional heroes and the heart of their authors inspired me to continue leaning in to love my enemies in hopes of attaining unity, while still battling to the death for justice and true peace.
Our Time is Not Unique. The Book of Judges is the only non-fiction book on my list of 2020 winners. This book, which is part of the Bible, recounts a period of Israel’s history where leaders rise and fall and there is a constant threat of external invasion. The characters are often weak and afraid which is hugely encouraging in a year like this one.
I’ve read Judges before, but reading it again this year brought to life many of the stories in a new way. Stories of people and nations rising and falling, rulers coming to power and being overthrown, tribalism taking precedence over love, and oppression of others to the benefit of the dominant group. Many, many times this year, I would read a story in a book like Judges and be struck with an eerie feeling that what I read in The Order of the Phoenix, what I read in Judges, and what I experienced when I walked out the front door all paralleled.
Finding a parallel was both distressing and refreshing. Distressing because of the weight of the pain of the present. Refreshing because reading of kingdoms rising and falling in the book of Judges reminded me that this chaos is not new to human history and is not new to God. Humans fumbled through all kinds of mutinies, invasions, deceptions, plagues, betrayals, and weakness of spirit in Judges. Jesus still took victory on the cross and He will still come back to set this giant mess we’ve made right someday. When He does, our bodies will be renewed, our mistruth will be aligned, oppressors will be held accountable, oppressed will be lifted up, joy will overflow. Reading story after story of victory, fall, chaos, repeat gave me a sense of assurance in continuing to ride out the storm.
Since it seems our final day of victory may still be far off, it sure is fun and a bit of fresh air to read about Harry Potter defeating Voldemort and little hobbit Frodo defeating the Ring of Power, along with all of their friends faithfully and boldly, stumbling along to support them. These stories echo the author’s longing for the defeat of our common enemy and the setting right of our broken world. And these stories stir the deepest places of my soul and gave me hope and comfort through this tumultuous year.
