The Giver

My parents went out this afternoon/early evening to run various errands. They stopped at the library and picked up a book that I had put on hold called The Giver by Lois Lowry. I didn't really have anything else to do this evening so after dinner I read. It was really good.

Kind of ominous, disconcerting, and chilling--but good nonetheless. [Yeah, I finished it in like an hour and half...]

It's a science fiction book that is about this village in the future. At first glance seems like an ideal society. There's no poverty, strife, prejudice, or violence. But this world has paid a bitter price for it's "utopia". In turn for not having to experience sadness, violence, or any deep negative emotion they have sacrificed their ability to feel deep love, appreciate real beauty, and real joy.

The book chronicles the experiences of a 12 year old boy named Jonas who is chosen to be The Receiver. The receiver has the honor of holding all the memories of the history of the world. The pleasure of deep feelings as well as the pain...

Anyways I won't bore you anymore with the book, but I'll bore you now with my thoughts on it. =P

As I finished the book and closed it; I began to think. How awful would it be to live in a world like that even if you didn't know any better. A world without color, beauty, joy, love... Even if you never experienced pain or suffering it wouldn't be worth it. A world where everyone is basically the same with no diversity. *cringe*

Even if there was a way for me to avoid all pain and suffering in my life, I want to have nothing to do with it. It makes life...life. Besides how much more do I appreciate the beautiful things in life because of it?

Then I began to think--how kind was it of God to give us feelings. To give us the ability to have deep feelings that sometimes words can't even explain. Think about it, not only did he give us feelings but He built them. From the ground up-- from nothing. How amazing is that?