"There is always Hope"

The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite books.  I have read it over and over, and also taught it several times.  As I have been meditating on the recent events of my life, I have also been meditating on Gandalf, Gollum, Frodo, Aragorn and Sam.  Somehow I keep coming back to these friends of mine who have so often helped me in times of stress.  I cannot count how many times I have tried to encourage friends with the line in the movie, by Peter Jackson. Aragorn in the midst of the Battle at Helms Deep looks on a very young warrior as he asks Aragorn the King if there is any hope?  The reply from Aragorn is, "there is always hope." Even in the situation that I find myself in presently, I can hear Aragorn say, "there is always hope."  

Hope is a particularly unique perspective only found and grounded in Christianity.  That is one of the reasons why Tolkien saturated his works with it.  He was a believer in hope.  The new fantasy literature that has come about since Tolkien, doesn't share his perspective about hope. The writers seem to be steeped in a modernist viewpoint of relativistic truth, and realism that can never produce true hope.  That kind of relativistic hope is based on the person himself to produce it on their own.  The example that comes to mind is the scene in Harry Potter when Harry looks in the mirror and realizes that the hope he needs to carry on is within himself, because of who he is and where he came from.  Tolkien gives us a whole different approach to hope.  In The Hobbit as well as The Lord of the Rings the characters are helped unexpectedly by someone or something outside of themselves.  Gandalf sitting at the top of the tower is helped by the Eagle.  The whole procession of men, elves, and dwarves are helped when the hobbits look up into the sky to see the Eagles descending to help them.  Hope to Gandalf is from an outside source.  Our hope as believers is not from within, but from the Lord of all hope and comfort.  

A friend who lives in Japan sent us a book called, The Steadfast Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick.  I looked at it and immediately wrote it off as one of those "women" books.  Not that I am not a woman, but I see myself as more of an academic/theologian type.  Give me Augustine, Boethius, and Calvin not some feel good book that I can read in a half an hour.  Now I realize that I am confessing my sin here, because that came out of a heart of arrogance and pride. Pride is usually rooted in a sense of self inferiority, at least mine is.  Please, Mrs. Fitzpatrick forgive me.  It has opened our hearts up to Scripture that we have never had to hold on to.  Psalm 57 especially.  My husband and I have read it everyday.  Thank you to my friend and to Mrs. Fitzpatrick for writing such an excellent encouragement.  

This makes me especially grateful for the universality of the Bride of Christ; His Church.  My friend sent it all the way from Japan for our edification.  She didn't even hear about our trials from us, but from some one else in the Body.  An anonymous reader to my blog wrote me her story of betrayal that has greatly encouraged me.  Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me, Bless His Holy Name!  The Body of Christ marches on.  How I love the peoples of God.

Psalm 57

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. 

A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

 1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

   for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

    till the storms of destruction pass by.

2I cry out to God Most High,

   to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

3 He will send from heaven and save me;

   he will put to shame him who tramples on me. 

                         Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

 4My soul is in the midst of lions;

   I lie down amid fiery beasts—

the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,

   whose tongues are sharp swords.

 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

   Let your glory be over all the earth!

 6They set a net for my steps;

   my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

   but they have fallen into it themselves. 

                         Selah

7 My heart is steadfast, O God,

   my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

 8 Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

   I will awake the dawn!

9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

   I will sing praises to you among the nations.

10For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,

   your faithfulness to the clouds.

 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

   Let your glory be over all the earth!