Ride out with me...
I love to read. This past week while reading I came upon this passage.
There is something about it that strikes a chord deep within me. It taps into my desire to do something, to make a difference, to get beyond myself to a place where I don’t care whether I live or die but whether I am loving God and loving people in a way that brings glory to the Most High.
Since I love the movie referred to, and the thought communicated is one that has been reverberating in my skull for some time, I thought I would post the passage.
In the film The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson creates a beautiful depiction of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth. This is a fictional place full of wizards, elves, dwarves, dragons, ogres, and goblins. There is also a race of simple, rural people who are very small; they are known as Hobbits. Sauron, the dark lord of evil in this world, centuries earlier created a ring of power that holds much of his evil influence. The ring was lost and somehow found its way into the possession of a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins. The Lord of the Rings is an epic story of a small band of characters from the free peoples of Middle Earth who face enemies in staggering numbers and overwhelming odds. They set out on a quest to destroy this ring of power and thus defeat the growing influence of Sauron.
In the second movie, The Two Towers, we find that the good guys join up with the nation of Rohan, who are world-renowned as horsemen with agile and brave horses. They face the advances of an evil army of Goblins, bent on the total destruction of all the people.
There is something about it that strikes a chord deep within me. It taps into my desire to do something, to make a difference, to get beyond myself to a place where I don’t care whether I live or die but whether I am loving God and loving people in a way that brings glory to the Most High.
Since I love the movie referred to, and the thought communicated is one that has been reverberating in my skull for some time, I thought I would post the passage.
In the film The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson creates a beautiful depiction of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth. This is a fictional place full of wizards, elves, dwarves, dragons, ogres, and goblins. There is also a race of simple, rural people who are very small; they are known as Hobbits. Sauron, the dark lord of evil in this world, centuries earlier created a ring of power that holds much of his evil influence. The ring was lost and somehow found its way into the possession of a Hobbit named Frodo Baggins. The Lord of the Rings is an epic story of a small band of characters from the free peoples of Middle Earth who face enemies in staggering numbers and overwhelming odds. They set out on a quest to destroy this ring of power and thus defeat the growing influence of Sauron.
In the second movie, The Two Towers, we find that the good guys join up with the nation of Rohan, who are world-renowned as horsemen with agile and brave horses. They face the advances of an evil army of Goblins, bent on the total destruction of all the people.
They find themselves in the throne room of Theoden, king of Rohan. When the king comes to the realization that the enemy is on the move and bent on destroying his kingdom, he is faced with tough choices. The counsel is to “ride out and meet them.” But the king is concerned for the welfare of his people. War is ugly and always accompanied by great loss. In the past, they found safety behind the walls of a fortified castle known as Helm’s Deep. With his shepherd’s heart and desire to protect those for whom he is responsible, Theoden announces, “I’ll not risk open war with my people.” Aragorn, a warrior with the true heart of a king, responds, “Open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not.”These are true words today. We face an encroaching evil that would destroy the world of men. Our enemy, Satan, is on the move and taking ground daily. Christian leaders, like Theoden, face a similar crisis and must make choices for the good of their people.
Theoden chose the mirage of safety in that fortress called Helm’s Deep. From that decision on, the film portrays men losing ground to the advance of evil. Once in the fortress, the men feel a
sense of security, but the walls are breached, so they retreat 
further to the keep. Eventually the throngs of the enemy seize the entire fortress except for a small room with a barricaded door.
With the pounding of a battering ram against this last door separating the men from their annihilation, in helplessness King Theoden cries out, “What can men do against such reckless hate?” Aragorn once again gives Theoden the answer he had brushed aside in earlier counsel: “Ride out with me.”
With backs against the wall, no way out, and no hope of victory against an army of ten thousand, this suggestion now comes across as only a way to die in a blaze of glory. Theoden says, “Yes, for death and glory!” Aragorn corrects him: “For your people.” Theoden responds with passion, “Let this be the hour when we draw swords together!” They mount up and charge the enemy on horseback, becoming the warriors they were always meant to be. They meet the enemy head on. As the plunge forward in reckless abandon, the enemy surprisingly falters at their boldness and stumbles back. At that moment, reinforcements return to assist, and in the end the battle is won. Evil is sent running, and victory belongs with the brave heroes who, against all odds, rode out to meet the enemy head on.
This is a parable for our churches today. Under the good intentions of well-meaning leaders, the church has fallen back on its heels in a defensive posture, seeking refuge in its own fortresses of buildings, programs, and “Christian” businesses, schools, and ministries. Trying to avoid the threat we were always meant to thwart, we have lost ground over and over again until at last we have nowhere left to go, surrounded by wickedness. We are now seen as an impotent and frightened group that hides from the world and the reality that faces us. We have allowed the enemy to take over the culture and society, and we complain from the safety of our fortified so-called Christian strongholds."
This passage has been taken from Organic Church, by Neil Cole (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.)
What thoughts went through your mind as you read through the book quotation?
With the pounding of a battering ram against this last door separating the men from their annihilation, in helplessness King Theoden cries out, “What can men do against such reckless hate?” Aragorn once again gives Theoden the answer he had brushed aside in earlier counsel: “Ride out with me.”
With backs against the wall, no way out, and no hope of victory against an army of ten thousand, this suggestion now comes across as only a way to die in a blaze of glory. Theoden says, “Yes, for death and glory!” Aragorn corrects him: “For your people.” Theoden responds with passion, “Let this be the hour when we draw swords together!” They mount up and charge the enemy on horseback, becoming the warriors they were always meant to be. They meet the enemy head on. As the plunge forward in reckless abandon, the enemy surprisingly falters at their boldness and stumbles back. At that moment, reinforcements return to assist, and in the end the battle is won. Evil is sent running, and victory belongs with the brave heroes who, against all odds, rode out to meet the enemy head on.
This is a parable for our churches today. Under the good intentions of well-meaning leaders, the church has fallen back on its heels in a defensive posture, seeking refuge in its own fortresses of buildings, programs, and “Christian” businesses, schools, and ministries. Trying to avoid the threat we were always meant to thwart, we have lost ground over and over again until at last we have nowhere left to go, surrounded by wickedness. We are now seen as an impotent and frightened group that hides from the world and the reality that faces us. We have allowed the enemy to take over the culture and society, and we complain from the safety of our fortified so-called Christian strongholds."
This passage has been taken from Organic Church, by Neil Cole (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.)
What thoughts went through your mind as you read through the book quotation?
Ephesians 6:12 reads: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” If it is true that our battle is not against flesh and blood, how do we wage this war? What could it mean to “Ride out” in our context?
1 comment:
This passage reminds me of something very familiar to me. I've given similar talks to the youth at bethany and the topic seems to be of great concern for the current church. I agree that something has to happen, something radical, something big...but how? I'm reminded of a quote from Rob Bells book. He speaks about a man who's bringing heaven to earth. It talks about how in everything we do we have the oportunity to bring either heaven or hell to earth. Every choice we make, every time we pass by a chance to make a difference, every time we say something, every time we simply do anything...we bring heaven or hell to earth. It really emphasizes the need to pay attention to the things that we do, even the seeminly unimportant things....but the quote I was getting to goes like this: "He's charging into hell and he's bringing heaven with him"
Does this sound like our community? To me it sounds like an ideal seldom met. To me our current church looks more like: "He's sitting in heaven waiting for hell to change it's mind" ...
Ouch.
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