Readings (20 June 2014)

The poignant truth about Andy’s dad from “Toy Story”, by Denny Burk, referring to an article by Jon Negroni. If the hints in the movies mean that Andy’s father left the family, this

clarifies another layer of meaning to the Toy Story saga. Andy’s close relationship to his toys is framed by the absence of his father. This dynamic plays out in the struggle between Woody (representing his fathered past) and Buzz Lightyear (representing his fatherless future). It explains why there is such a struggle for a connection to the past and a trepidation about the future.

10 ways to love your transgender neighbor, also by Denny Burk. It begins:

1. Be a friend. And by that, I mean be a real friend. Don’t make changing them a condition of your friendship.

“A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity” (Prov. 17:17).

2. Listen. Your transgender neighbor may have a story to tell, and you need to hear it. Not just for their sake, but for yours. There’s nothing better to wipe away erroneous caricatures than to listen to someone else’s story. Listening doesn’t equal submitting to an unbiblical ideology. It just means that you care and are open to learning.

“He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him” (Prov. 18:13).

True Objective Occurrences, by Dan Piepenbring, in The Paris Review. The story of the distinguished nineteenth century English scientist William Crookes, who (according to Sherrie Lynn Lyons, an historian quoted in the article) “was a man with a flawless scientific reputation, who discovered a new element, but could not detect a real live maiden who was masquerading as a ghost.”

Mormon Bishop Is on a Mission To Promote Jewish Missionaries, from The Tablet. The subject, Mark Paredes, has served as a national outreach director for the American Jewish Congress and blogs for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, but is a Mormon bishop. “Paredes’ most provocative attempt to reach across religious lines,” the article explains,

is his long-running campaign to convince Jews to begin actively proselytizing, much as Mormons do by sending their youth on missions around the world. “I’m a very active missionary for the idea that Jews should be missionaries,” he said. He maintains that doing so would solve a key problem that preoccupies today’s Jewish leadership: the attrition of the younger generation. For one thing, missionary work would help replenish the ranks. For another, the very act of training the youth to spread their faith and values would have the effect of strengthening their connection to Judaism, just as serving on multiyear missions solidifies the commitment of young Mormons. “It works for us, and there’s no reason it can’t work for Judaism,” he said.