A few weeks ago, when I preached on Sloth, I had a great quote from Charles “Tremendous” Jones -
The only difference between where you are right now, andwhere you’ll be next year at this same time, are the people youmeet and the books you read. Charles “Tremendous” Jones
This got me to thinking… outside of the books I read to the kids and the Bible, what am I reading? The answer was, “Not much.” So I am embarking on a journey to read more, and to start I am reading some modern classics which have a strong masculine appeal. And what better place to start than “Farewell to Arms.”
Reading Hemingway is like reading the journal of a good friend. You immediately get a sense of the characters and the setting with vivid detail laid out in such subtle ways. Hemingway’s characters are both strong and flawed, with a deep sense of who they are while at the same time a quiet searching for deeper meaning. Farewell to Arms is a semi-biographical look at Hemingway’s own experiences in WWI as an ambulance driver. It is also a love story with a tragic ending between an American serving in the Italian army and a British nurse. The beauty for me of Hemingway’s writing is in his ability to express the chaos of life while at the same time carrying a solid and readable storyline. He leaves just enough story untold to give the story a real first hand feel. He doesn’t get bogged down in side stories and leaves many questions unanswered, keeping the storyline focused on the main characters – Federick Henry and Catherine Barkley.
What bothers me about Farewell to Arms, while at the same time draws me, is the rejection of religion that is prominent. Outside of the priest, who plays a prominent role, no one has any faith and really any hope. It is a sad, tragic story of a man and woman lost in life and, while Henry does seem to question and even consider faith, they never discover the hope of Christ. Sadly, I think this is the story of many in life who are interested in Christ but unwilling to give up whatever in life is holding them back. As much as I hoped that the story would end with hope and salvation, tragedy prevails.
Overall, Farewell to Arms is a beautifully written tragedy that captures the essence of war’s effect on real people. Hemingway is a master writer and for that alone this is worth the read to grow as a writer myself. It also gives me new vigor in my call to share Jesus as I consider those who may be asking but are unwilling to come to Jesus. How can I help them? What is my prayer for them? As I seek answers to these questions I pray that God will give me a new heart for the lost and how to bring hope to a hopeless world.