Leanne Shawler, Artist

On Tuesday, I shared why I thought Katniss was a hero. Remember, Katniss is not perfect because of her heroism. She has many faults and failings. But she sees worth in the human life around her. At the end of that post, I asked the question: how do we show that we too see worth in human life? By acknowledging the dignity of another human being. Smile at someone, or say a kind word (or both). And not just to someone who looks like you, or who reminds you of someone you care for, but someone who is a bit different from you, who might make you uncomfortable? It could be somebody homeless, for example, just a smile to say "I see you." Support a local orphanage or foster program by participating in fundraising or visiting them if they allow guests. Sponsor a child t hrough World Vision or some other program and do more than just send money. Write to them and let them know you care. Listen to somebody. It could be a friend, a co-worker, an acquaintance. So...

Ok, if you haven't seen The Hunger Games and haven't read the entire trilogy and don't want to be spoiled, you should stop reading now. The Hunger Games has just come out on DVD, so I thought I'd share some reflections that have been floating around in my brain since I saw the movie and read the books. When I first saw The Hunger Games , I hadn't read the books. I didn't want to see it really, I'm not fond of violent films, but it was getting really good reviews so we went. I found the movie disturbing. I realized that by watching the "games" part of the movie and rooting for Katniss, Peeta and Rue, I was participating (in a sense) in condoning the murders of the other child contestants, even the ones who were made almost inhuman by their training. It made me extraordinarily uncomfortable that watching this, even as pretend, was remotely okay with me or anyone else in that theatre. It isn't. But the books don't just stop at mak...