The Hunger Games

My daughter loves the Hunger Games.  Everyone who follows her on Facebook knows of her obsession.  I enjoyed watching her count down the days until the movie premiered on a cool March midnight at Habersham Hills Cinemas.  Being interviewed for the Northeast Georgian’s article on the movie’s magic was the icing on the cake.    

Long before the movie premiered, I began reading the Hunger Games Trilogy to better understand her love for the story.  I read through them quickly, fascinated by the themes in the books:  courage in the face of power, violence used to control people, and love in the middle of war.  I found myself trying to use the books to engage my daughter on current global issues such as the rebellions in Libya and Syria, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Thankfully, she is still a teenage girl and preferred the conversations around the love triangle of Katniss, Peta and Gale. 

With my background in the books, I expected to enjoy watching the movie flesh out the story visually.  I did not expect to be so moved emotionally.  The movie shares the story of children – teenagers – forced to fight to the death in a televised reality show – the Hunger Games – by a tyrannical government, the Capital.  I found myself gripped by the abject poverty displayed in District 12, the home of the protagonists.  While the deaths in the games were not graphically displayed, I grieved over each one, even the bullies. 

One the way home from the movie with my daughter, I surprised her and myself with tears over the movie.  I struggled to figure out my own tears.  I now see my tears as representing my grief for the loss of innocence in the children of my daughter’s generation.  Violence and war and death have surrounded them all of their lives.  For years my youngest daughter, seeing war images haphazardly on the TV news asked me, “Dad, when will this war in Iraq end?”  I did not have an answer.  In December when the remaining troops withdrew from Iraq, I finally could say, “the war is over.”  By then, she barely noticed and now did not care.    

In response to the movie, I find myself energized to teach my children and my congregation the importance of justice in the world.  The themes found in the movie are reality for millions in the world every day.  Vulnerable children around the world are sold into slavery – a lottery of their place of birth.  Wars still ravage the world killing men, women and children with brutal force.  Dictators still control their people through fear and manipulation – choosing to spend money on missiles than food.  My hope as we all reflect on the Hunger Games is we will learn more of how to live the words of scripture found in Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”