√Radical

You may have heard of this little book trilogy called "The Hunger Games."

{And by "may have heard of," I mean "definitely are aware of."}

A movie is being made of the first book, "Hunger Games," and will come out in March. I've read the trilogy, and I definitely enjoyed it. The concept is completely original and the characters are tremendously believable, which is always very important to me. I admit that I sobbed at the ending, even though it's not exactly sad. Depends on who you are and how your mind works.

As does one's opinion on a certain character named Peeta.

Now, I'm not going to go into Peeta's part in the story or any spoilerific plot points. I want to talk about a mindset that happened to be brought to my attention in the context of this fictional guy named Peeta. A lot of my girl friends LOVE Peeta, and I can understand that. But the other day, I heard a girl's reason for her obsession and my jaw dropped:

"He isn't radical."

Now, admittedly, taken with the other things she said, this isn't quite so horrifying. But a lot of girls would take that sentence alone and wholeheartedly agree.

He isn't radical? And that's a desirable quality?!

Radical: adj. of or going to the root or origin; fundamental. Thoroughgoing, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms.

So radical can mean two things.

1) Digging deep. Dismissing or wading through superficial crud to find what the real issue is. This is where the "radical symbol" in math comes from. If I type √4, you know I'm looking for the ROOT of four.

or

2) Doing something different. When A, B, and C fail, try D. If you're stuck in a rut, the best way to get out of it is probably not to continue spinning your tires in it. If the world is doing something wrong just because it's the way things have always been, you NEED to be radical.

Get to the root of the problem.

And do something different.

Christopher Columbus was radical.

Einstein was radical.

Abraham Lincoln was radical.

Martin Luther King Jr. was radical.

I challenge you to find one person who changed the world and who WASN'T radical.

No seriously. Name ONE.

What especially got me is the fact that this girl is a Christian.

HELLO!

Jesus Christ was radical in the most radical sense possible. Being a Christian is ALL ABOUT being radical. Fixing the root of ourselves by asking for forgiveness. Helping the poor by finding the root of WHY they're poor and eradicating it. Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves at our core, our root. Discovering that God is the center, the root, the radical of the world.

"I love Peeta because he isn't radical."

That's like saying, "I love dance because it's boring" or "I love writing because it's useless" or "I love football because it's dumb." How can you even say that like it's a compliment?

When I fall in love, it will be with someone radical. When I fall in love, it will be with someone who challenges me at the root of my being, who challenges me to find the problems in life and inspires me to do something about them.

When I fall in love with someone, it will be with someone who is in love with Jesus Christ and understands the tremendously radical lifestyle he has called us to.

When I fall in love with someone, it will be with someone who accepts that radical challenge and strives to live life intentionally, thoughtfully, adventurously, lovingly, excitedly every day.

When I fall in love with someone, it will be with someone radical. And that will be one of my very most favorite things about them.

~Stephanie