Jeremy Lin and My Unadulterated Adventure With Faith
I’ve been reading about a lot of
faith. But not like faith as in the Bible…
Ironically, I have found this faith in Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle and in John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany. This dichotomy of literature, one being a
more satirical piece while the other a more serious, analytical one, presents faith
and religion in two different lightings.
Cat’s Cradle, a satirical piece, uses a
cacophony of random characters, symbols, and topics: religion, science, love,
and death. The book demonstrates a dynamic evolution in the narrator’s religious
views. At one point, the book even suggests that religion may sometimes be a
futile effort: “She was a
fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is Doing,
[writes Bokonon].” Although the book concentrates on the arms race, and the
debilitating effects that the fictional Dr. Felix Hoenikker has on society with
his invention of the atomic bomb, we as readers can see the underlying religion
tones throughout the novel. Bokononism, a fictional religion in the book,
focuses on some peculiar and idiosyncratic beliefs and inspires many characters
in the book to do unimaginable things. But nonetheless, I noticed that religion
could sometimes drive men (or women...) mad. Don’t worry. I’m not sexist. I
promise.
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On a more serious note, I found A Prayer for Owen Meany extremely uplifting. The ending? Just wow.
Owen Meany’s Christ-like persona captured my fervent interests for finishing
the book; as an instrument of God, he certainly filled that dull, uninspiring
void that I expected from those kinds of books. His premonitions, savior-like
mentality, and distinct faith resonated deeply with me. Through Owen Meany, I
found that faith becomes deeply rooted and pervasive within non-believers
through the actions of others.
And what about faith in Wuthering
Heights? Sure the characters discuss faith and religion, but I feel as if
Joseph is the only one who zealously believes. Is that why each of the
Earnshaws and Lintons are destroyed one by one? Because they don’t have faith?
I also noticed how Joseph is left as the only character that remains unchanged
throughout the entire novel. Do we credit this static characteristic to his
zealous faith?
Jeremy Lin,
Linsanity, The Chosen One, MVP, and Harvard Basketball were all synonymous at
one point. Jeremy Lin, a current Houston Rockets NBA player, has inspired those
on and off the court through his quick crossovers, determination, and perhaps
most importantly, his faith. One journalist uniquely writes about Jeremy Lin and
his faith: “And, yes, he is a Christian, too, but with a brand of
faith, shaped by his background, that I can relate to much better than many I
have seen in the public arena.” Jeremy Lin has been seen praying on and off the
court; he has been heard gratefully dedicating his accomplishments to God and
his faith. And through these actions, we often wonder whether this faith has
made him the dynamic and cultural figure he is today. “ ‘I do believe God has
the perfect plan,’” says Lin. Recently, Jeremy Lin scored 31 points in one game
and racked up 34 points and 12 assists in another. With all of these
accomplishments, we, or at least I, often wonder how much of an influence his
faith has had.
Thus concludes my unadulterated experience with
faith through literature, whatever Wuthering
Heights is (just kidding), and
sports.
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