#through the narrow gate

[fadinglight123]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

In which there are things Obi-Wan needs to know.

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So this chapter is very late. School kicked my ass for a few weeks, and then I realized I needed to go back and rewrite the chapter when I was halfway done. But it’s here now!

[fadinglight123]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapter 4- room to breathe

 In which important conversations are had by all

‘Tis here! I have once again had to rework my chapter outlines but it’s worth it. Some important new faces make their debut this chapter, and I’m very excited for them to become permanent fixtures in the story. 

[fadinglight123]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

This chapter fought me quite a bit while I was writing and is a solid 1000 words longer than I planned, and that’s after I ended it before I was initially planning to and moving the rest to my draft of Chapter 3. It’s also done a week earlier than I anticipated so. Enjoy?

[fadinglight123]

So I decided I wanted to draw Obi-Wan in Mandalorian armor for...reasons. That may or may not be related to Through the Narrow Gate. I’m super proud of how it turned out. 

Process vid below

[fadinglight123]

Ooo I just read through the narrow gate and Omigoodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHH it’s everything I’ve ever wanted! I’ve already reread it multiple times and I hope you know I will be supporting you and your writing!! Eee it was just so good!!!

Ndjsjfjsiudj holy shit thank you????? I’m so glad you like it!! The response it’s gotten has blown my mind, and getting this made my day! The next chapter should be up tomorrow morning, so you have that to look forward to 😄

[wiirocku]

The Narrow and Wide Gates

[wiirocku]

Luke 13:24 (NKJV) - “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

[sophia-sol]

Through the Narrow Gate: A Memoir of Life In and Out of the Convent, by Karen Armstrong

The author, Karen Armstrong, is a very well-known writer of nonfiction about comparative religion. This is her memoir. Well - the first half of her memoir. It's about her experience of becoming a nun at the age of 17, why she stayed for seven years, and why she eventually left. It's a very powerfully-written book. I cried all over the place during the latter part.

The period of time when she was a nun was in the sixties, which was a time just before some major reforms in the way convents were run, and it's - well, it's a hard life. And a lot of it, it's like, I can see why a person might choose to undergo those challenges? But some of it is just needlessly cruel.

The hardest thing for me to read about, and what sounds like one of the hardest things for Armstrong to have experienced, was the loneliness: the lack of love, of human connection. And that was ENCOURAGED - in fact, mandatory. Because God is supposed to be all-sufficient. I can't help but think of the bit where Jesus says that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love your neighbour. In other words: loving God is NOT the only thing.

The very end of the book, where Armstrong tells two of her classmates at Oxford that she has left the order and they're just so loving and supportive, auuugh that was just the perfect note to end on. And it's just like, YES, EXACTLY, people should love one another and support one another and that's frankly the best of humanity. And if devoting oneself to God means leaving that behind then I DISAGREE.

After I finished reading this book it felt strange and wrong and shallow to go read some fanfic online. But I reminded myself: the overarching theme of this book is that human connection is good and to be desired and to be celebrated and appreciated. And for me participating in fandom is about those same themes. So.