Soul Depth: Give Hook A Chance

Shel Silverstein wrote a poem about Captain Hook; two lines are enough to give you the gist.

Captain Hook must be gentle

When he shakes your hand.

Why do things touch us deeply, and how does our soul affect the depth of our writing?

Sure, we can picture Captain Hook’s iron claw, a smile plastered across his curl-mustachioed face. His enormous hat bobs and weaves as he approaches. He reaches out to shake our hand.

There are deep meanings here.

Why shake hands, to begin with? This semi-intimate greeting involves touching a pirate captain and his fingers. Okay, the touch is not so bad itself. A handshake is designed to affirm that there is no weapon in the hand.

However, in Captain Hook’s case, his hand is a weapon, a sharpened tool that isn’t used just to catch fish.

And why be gentle? Why coax others by offering gentle spirit? And how can we tell he will be gentle once we grip his claw? Perhaps we should not trust him.

But what if he has turned a corner and wants people to know he is generous and kind and he’s trying.

What is our role in giving Captain Hook another chance?

Our souls long for deeper meaning. The only way to fulfill our spirit’s desire is to engage with the culture around us. We read, write, watch TV, tell stories to friends and family, watch plays, watch YouTube and reels, go to movies, listen to music, and enjoy poems about Captain Hook.

Take note. We engage with culture. And as a Christian, that’s not something to be frightened of. Every part of culture is a reaction to Christ.

Look at the lines we read. The themes are not simply cute. They discuss kindness, forgiveness, and perhaps sympathy. We can even learn how we project ourselves, as if we want to be viewed as kind, but should wear a helium balloon instead of a hook.

All culture is a reaction to our Heavenly Father. We shouldn’t be worried about engaging with culture. It is our job to point to His goodness and hope, because He has the answers to all the questions culture brings up. Our writing will be deeper when we write with Him in mind.