My November Newsletter Article:
Frodo – “I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened." Gandalf - "So do all who come to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us.”
So runs the conversation between Frodo the hobbit and Gandalf the wizard (actually a kind of minor angel) in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo and Gandalf are speaking to each other at a turning point in the history of Middle Earth. The mighty elves are crossing the sea never to return, the magic of the former ages is fading, and the age of humanity is beginning. The fate of the ring determines whether the coming age will be one of slavery and oppression, or one of creativity and freedom. It’s difficult to be at the hub of the turning point, especially if you are a simple hobbit, but as Gandalf points out, we don’t get to choose the age we live in.
We, too, live in a difficult time. A financial crisis is upon us that draws daily comparisons to the Great Depression and other fiscal disasters in our history. Terrorism still menaces from within and without. Divisive political rhetoric seems to be at a fever pitch. Every age has its ring forgers who desperately attempt to hold onto control and power. Our current rings of power are forged of credit derivatives and nuclear materials and distrust.
It’s hard to live in such times, but listening to the wisdom of Gandalf, what is more important is our decision on HOW to live in such times. How do we as Christians respond to such problems – many of which are bigger than we think we can handle? As I wrote last month, this is where we are tested. It’s easy to keep our Christian values when everything is going well, but can we continue to respond in such a manner when things get tough? The first step is that we must not allow our humanity to be destroyed by the “little death” of fear. But what beyond that?
Look back to our literary analogy. The defeat of evil comes in the story not with the clash of armies or in confrontation between hero and anti-hero. It comes from the day-to-day plodding of two pairs of hobbit feet into the territory of the enemy, step by step, with their eyes only on their next step and a trust in providence. Salvation in Middle Earth comes through the most unlikely source. Likewise, salvation for our own earth came from an unlooked-for direction – a rabbi from backwater Galilee who taught, died, and was resurrected while the “great powers” of the earth struggled for “the important things” like political power.
Can we as Episcopalians restore the credit market or secure Russia’s nuclear stockpiles? Probably not – we’re beyond the age of J.P. Morgan. But we are called to follow the footsteps of Frodo and Sam, paying attention to what surrounds us immediately and trusting that God will lead us where we need to go. Homelessness in Waukesha is increasing and shelters have less space and resources to address the greater need. Food and clothes pantries groan under the strain. People are locked in a sometimes-mortal struggle with the stress of unemployment and dwindling savings. It is precisely at times like these when the church is most needed as both a witness to the hope that is in us and as agents of change in our community, bringing both good news and real relief to the poor and anguished.
We must decide what to do with the time given us. The time of the elves has passed, the mighty magic of old can only help us at best. WE are the ones that must decide how to respond. We can shut the door to our hobbit-homes, hoping that we have enough to see us through these times and that evil will not come knocking, or we can step out on the road and face the difficulties of our community with faith and determination. The choice lies before us.
