Good Books by Patti L. Brown

Hola.

We had a busy Easter weekend. Friday we took a trip to Philadelphia; Saturday we ran around to soccer games, birthday parties, and shopping; and Sunday we entertained the in-laws.

After our company left, I watched The Passion of The Christ Sunday night. It was incredibly moving, on many different levels. The spiritual and religious level is self-evident. But I found several other facets of the storyline to be fascinating as well.

First, the story started the day before the crucifixion of Jesus. It ended the morning of his resurrection. The movie covered a short period of time, yet look at all of the events that occurred in such little time. Those events (as they happened in history, not the movie) changed the world. Jesus knew what He was doing, but the other people... their actions caused so many things to occur at a frighteningly fast pace.

This minor observation led me to think all day about how much can happen in a day. I am not comparing the events in my life to those in Jesus's life--simply a point to ponder. How much can I make happen in a day? In a few days? I had a very busy weekend... what did I accomplish (other than spending a lot of money)?

The second observation: did those people know what they were doing? Did they have any inkling that they would be remembered for thousands of years by their actions? I'm not just referring to the big-wigs involved--Herod, Pilate, the Pharisees, but also the woman who gave Jesus a drink, the Roman guards, the other little people who played minor roles but were there, were watching, were part of it.

I pondered about this today, too. I can't imagine that any of my actions will be remembered for thousands of years, but how long will my actions actually be remembered? And by whom?

I've read loads of books, as a child, teenager, and adult. Many of them have 'stayed with me' over the years. Charlotte's Web was my childhood favorite. Judy Blume was a favorite author... I was a fourth-grade nothing. In my teen years, I found fantasy fiction and, I am not ashamed to say, horror. Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy (Crystal Cave, Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment) are still my all-time favorites. And my Stephen King collection was pretty large. (My son has recently claimed those books.) In my adulthood, I found drama. Gone With the Wind, Marley & Me, and The Lord of the Rings still wait on my bookshelf to be re-read another day.

I summed it up for myself tonight as I resisted the temptation to sack out of the couch with my little one. My conclusion: if I want to be remembered by readers, if I want to touch people the way these authors have touched me, well, I better start making some events happen fast. I need to keep going, keep working and keep learning. I love writing! It's what I want to be remembered by... good books by Patti L. Brown.

If you are a Christian and haven't seen The Passion of The Christ yet, please see it. Yes, it is hard to watch. But watch it and remember it. And then reflect on your own life. Which of your actions will you be remembered by?

-PLB