In the Time of the Butterflies

A novel for me is a portal into another world. That’s why I have to be so careful when I read them! Non-fiction I can engage, let go, pick up, drop when needed. But fiction on the other hand, or even non-fiction narrative, sweeps me away and into the world within the pages. Oh I love me a good novel!

So I limit my novel-reading to just during our vacation time. This means that usually only 3 book per year make the cut. They’d better be good.

My most recent novel treasure was In the Time of the Butterflies. This historical novel was set in the 40s and 50s in the Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Raphael Trujillo (El Jefe). It follows the life of the four Mirabel sisters, national heroes who were political activists working to topple Trujillo’s regime and establish a free nation. The book follows their lives, working its way up to the climax in November of 1960 when three of the sisters were murdered by Trujillo’s men. It’s a fascinating read. As I turned the last page, near midnight on the last night of our vacation, I lay in the darkness thinking of several themes that stood out.

::Is it worth it? 

It was only one line in the book, an afterthought, really. These women have given their whole lives for this cause. They’ve given their children, families, and eventually their lives. Thirty years later they’re national heroes. Trujillo was assassinated and a free nation is taking shape. But the surviving sister, Dede, looks around sometimes, and wonders, “Did they sacrifice for this?”

Meaning, as I understand it, the world is still a mess.

I have to admit I was left with the same feeling. Yes, as icons of freedom they gave the nation a lot of hope. But oh, how sobering to consider: “Are we sacrificing for something worthwhile?”  Seventy years from now, in just the blink of an eye, we’ll all be gone. What are we sacrificing for?

Oh eternal things, oh that we’d continually fix our gaze on living for things eternal.

::Stepping off the pedestal. 

The second fascinating thing was following the story of Minerva Mirabel, the ringleader sister who really orchestrated all the underground activity and spearheaded the rebellion. After serving a horrendous sentence in prison she is released and the nation looks to her as an icon. She is praised, celebrated, looked up to. And yet she struggles internally, as she’s lost her fire in prison and wants nothing more than to be home, safe, with her daughter. But all her internal struggles must be hidden, because she’s become a beacon of hope for her nation. So instead of letting them see, she remains strong, keeps up the front, keeps acting out the part of hero despite the crumbling she feels inside.

Which made me wonder about Christian leadership. It’s true, we as leaders help provide something to which people can look. I know Minerva kept up the hero-gig because she knew her people needed someone to look to. She did it for them, to give them hope. But as Christians, sometimes this is a struggle. Do we allow ourselves (by we I mean all of us, each of us are looked up to by someone) to be “looked up to” so that people can have hope, or do we insist on stepping down, letting the struggles show, refusing to be the hope, even if it means disappointing people along the way.

Of course you know the answer, right?  We never have to be the hope of the world. Of course Christian discipleship involves setting examples and letting others look our way, but we never have to bear the burden of being a hero. There is only One Hero in this story, and His name is Jesus Christ. He is the hope of the world. He is the only One who never crumbles, who’s never divided. Isn’t that freeing?

So, In the Time of the Butterflies is a good read and a great reminder that we are so blessed by the freedom we enjoy. I’m struck all over again by how blessed we are in this country. Let’s enjoy it, thank God for it, live sacrificially for things eternal, and never succumb to the pressure to be heroes.

{Do you have a favorite novel you’d be willing to share with us? I’m always looking for a great read for the next vacation! Thanks for sharing, and reading.}