Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Dark and The Light

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

The battle between dark and light fascinates me.  I'm not sure whether it came from my reading of fantasy,  or whether my love of fantasy built up this interest.  After I read the Martin Luther King, Jr. , posting on Facebook, I was brought back to the idea of this struggle.  It's not just a fantasy issue, but a part of our everyday lives, expecially in terms of what is going on in our world today.  I thiI nk that there are times when it's hard to distinguish the dark from the light. The celebration of a death- is that light...or dark? Do we have control over either?  When will the lightness overcome the dark?  Morning, for sure, but it seems we need more.

I'm thinking of going back to Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series.  Children's books, yes, but a dramatic struggle between dark and light, and, of course, a happy ending, but not without costs.  And then I think about the Wrinkle in Time trilogy, and Dianna Wynne Jones, and...

Maybe it takes fantasy, and for me, right now, children's books to give us hope.




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