Since I’ve
received a fair amount of feedback on my recent reflection on Theo, it occurs
to me that I ought to share a character inconsistency in the story, and a
caution. These observations relate to the original edition of Theo, I
have not yet read the professional edition from Simon and Schuster.
Considering how compassionate
and sensitive Kendrick is, there is little or no sense of loss portrayed in him
at the death of his wife, Lamisha’s mother. This is inconsistent with his
character, the real Kendrick would mourn his wife even as he loves and
cherishes Lamisha, even as he forgives the “little man” who brought such pain
and loss into his family. It would have only taken a line here and a line there
to have rounded out the loss and pain Kendrick was living with. Kendrick’s portrait
is not complete in the story.
There is
violence in Theo, and since Allen Levi is a good writer, the violence is
vivid. The emotional violence we see in Cleave, and also in Pearce, is
something many of us have experienced. The
physical violence, perhaps not, at least to the degree portrayed.
There are, as I
recall, three scenes of physical violence; Tony in Vietnam, Ellen on her best
day ever, and then at the conclusion. As I’ve mentioned, these are vivid –
vivid graphically and emotionally – the characters and our sympathy for them
bring the violence home to us; we are pulled into the heartbreak, pulled into
the terror, pulled into the pain. Just as Allen Levi brings compassion to life,
he brings violence, fear, and heartbreak to life.
Here is the
thing…with me…the violence was a hard read. When I read Theo aloud to
Vickie I skipped over much of the violence, giving her a synopsis and the end
result. I did this for two reasons, the first is that she would not constitutionally
tolerate the descriptive violence, the second is that since reading aloud causes
me to see things in 3-D, so to speak, I couldn’t tolerate it either. When I
read the book by myself, I scanned much of the violence rather than read it
slowly; you might say I pressed the “fast forward” button.
Tony’s
experience in Vietnam is exquisitely portrayed, and it ought to remind us of
the hell that many of us have been through, are going through, and the hell
which we inflict on others and enable others to inflict on others. Allen Levi
touches on things which most of us do not have the courage to approach; if we
are enamored of Theo without confronting the stories of the people
behind the portraits we have missed much of the book. Theo ought to
challenge our prejudices, assumptions, political views, practice of religion, social
perspectives, friendships, and our families.
There are about
18 veteran suicides in our nation every day. This is the tip of the
iceberg of suffering that war produces in those consigned to it – not to
mention the noncombatants. Out of sight, out of mind…yes?
Then there is
the best day of Ellen’s life. O my, what a day! What a day, what a day, what a
day. If you have never lived close to Ellen’s world you may find it hard to
relate to her best day, if your life has been protected her world may seem like
a planet in deep space…to others, it may strike close to home.
The violence in
the conclusion was disappointing to me, it was a deus ex machina that I didn’t
care for – nor did I find it plausible, whereas Ellen’s best day and Tony in
Vietnam were plausible. I just don’t see that level of violence happening on
the Promenade in Golden, and in any event, it is an unsatisfactory resolution
to me – it is really no resolution – I understand that you may not agree with
me.
If I were
reading Theo in a small group, I would not have us read the violent
sections out loud, I would ask us to review those sections and then talk about
them. There is enough violence around us; in the news, in movies and other
media, in what now passes for sports, on our highways, we are a violent people
in a violent world. There are even so-called pastors and churches who promote
violence and death and aggression. At any moment I expect them to send out
fundraising letters soliciting money for “Bombs for Jesus.”
There is a
popular streaming series about Jesus, since a couple of friends recommended it
I watched the first segment 2 or 3 years ago, turning it off after only a few
minutes. I turned it off for two reasons, the second reason was that it was
going beyond what I consider artistic liberty in its storyline – there’s
already enough confusion among us about Jesus and what the Bible actually
portrays, we don’t need any more.
The first reason
was that it portrayed a man who had been stabbed in the throat (as I recall it
was the throat) and blood was pouring from his wound – it was quite realistic. Well,
my friends, as I have said, there is enough violence around us, we don’t need
to bring any more into our churches, into our lives, into our minds and hearts,
into the lives of our young people and children. This is not something Vickie
and I would watch – it is not something we want in our souls.
Violence is not
abstract to me, and it is not to some of you. I have had a gun held to my head,
and a knife to my throat. A murder occurred in the exact spot where I had been
five minutes previously – it was a “drug hit.” My coworkers and I once ran into
a vacant apartment and got on the floor for safety while gang gunfire erupted
around us. I have one friend whose Daddy was shot and killed during an armed
robbery, and another friend (now in the Presence) whose daughter was stabbed to
death in front of her. I do not write these things to be dramatic; I write them
to tell you that I have not led a protected life. Violence is not abstract to
me, there is more, but what I have written is enough.
Has it ever
occurred to you that the Gospels are not violently graphic about the
Crucifixion? What is there is there, and what is there ought to be enough. There
is more there than we think, and there is less there than we can, or ought to,
make a movie about. To plumb the depths (not that we can) of the Crucifixion is
the journey of a lifetime and beyond – graphic violence detracts from the core
of the Cross of Christ. Just because we know about something doesn’t mean that
we ought to display it to others.
I do not think
the violence in Theo is gratuitous, I do not say that Tony’s experience
in Vietnam or Ellen’s best day ever ought not to be there; I only say that it
should be handled carefully. When violence becomes the norm – as it is for many
professing Christians – then we ought to ask what has happened to our souls,
for we are called to display the peace and love of Christ to others, His love
and peace are to flow from His Throne within us to the peoples of the world.
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