Beauty

The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy has long been a favorite for me. In them, intentional or not, there is so much biblical truth. There is one such scene in particular that speaks deeply into my heart and spirit. Frodo and Sam, the hobbits entrusted with taking and destroying the ring of power in the fires of Mt. Doom, located in the heart of evil Mordor, are walking through its very center. Darkness and death are all around them. They are weary, at the end of their strength. They have collapsed upon the ground, near total despair and defeat. Mordor is the blackest and most evil place in Middle Earth. Suddenly, Sam looks up into the thick darkness of the sky and sees a section of it where the stars, shining in their glory can be seen. He says to Frodo, "Look, Mr. Frodo. There is beauty here that no amount of darkness can hide." With that, the hobbits stand up and journey on, destroying the ring, Mordor, and its evil ruler, Sauron, as well. I feel we, the church, may be feeling much like Frodo and Sam these days. Thick darkness seems to be covering our nation and the nations with increasing density. Evil is abounding and even seems to be winning. All of it can be suffocating to those committed to following and living for Him. We too can reach a place of near despair in believing that it can be defeated. This can be even more true as concerns our personal lives and situations. Marriages are disintegrating, families are being broken apart, trouble and need seem to be assaulting us from every side. All around us, the darkness is pressing in, threatening to crush the life out of us. It is here that His Word needs to be heard in our hearts, "Look up, for your redemption draws near." We, like Sam, need to get our eyes off of what is going on in our circumstances and "see" the beauty that cannot be hidden or defeated. The beauty that is Christ the King. He reigns despite all of it because He has already defeated all of it. It may have its season, but He rules over every season. His beauty went to the cross, rose from the tomb, and reigns over all the earth and universe. The deepest darkness cannot stand against it. We have just celebrated His resurrection. Let it not be a one day event. May it be our lifestyle. You may be walking through your own "Mordor" and all of its fire. Darkness may be pressing you on every side. Ugliness may be all you can see. Look up. There is beauty there that no one can hide and nothing can overcome. That beauty is for you and for me. Rise up and walk, to victory, to life, to His glory. Our God reigns. Christ the King reigns....and we, His people, reign with Him. Blessings, Pastor O