KEEP STANDING

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

~ Ephesians 6:13 (The Bible)

One of my very favorite works of fiction is J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. As a writer, his powers of description, world-building, and language are tremendously inspiring; as a person, his themes of unconditional love, courage, and hope in the face of overwhelming evil deeply resonate within my heart. Truly, it would be difficult for me to pick a favorite aspect of Tolkien’s work but, if pressed, I would have to boil it down to a concept he considered central to every worthy fairy tale:

The “eucatastrophe”.

It’s a word Tolkien invented himself, a combination of the Greek words “ευ”, meaning “good”, and καταστροφή, meaning “destruction”. It is the idea of a sudden turn-around when everything is at its worst, the sun bursting forth when the world is at its darkest. It is the concept that makes every story we love shine: the moment when hope seems to be completely lost and then hope beyond hope wins the day. “The Claw” plucking Woody, Buzz, and Andy’s faithful toys from the recycling center’s blazing inferno (Toy Story 3). Edward Ferras coming to declare his love for Elinor when she thought he was married to someone else (Sense and Sensibility). The once cowardly Robert The Bruce leading William Wallace’s band of brave Scotsmen to “fight like warrior poets” and win their freedom from English tyranny (Braveheart). Gandalf appearing at the crest of Helm’s Deep to blind the wicked army of Uruk-hai with the rising sun and charge down leading the valiant horsemen of Rohan (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers). Aslan appearing, alive and triumphant, at the Stone Table with, once again, the rising sun at his back (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe). And, when you think about it, every rising sun of our own lives bears witness of this truth. “It’s always darkest just before the dawn” is not just a nice saying: if you manage to get up that early (something I’m working on 😉) you will discover that it is, in fact, true. It is a principle God seems to have put in nature and within the heart of man, a desire for the impossible “good” to come roaring out of the overwhelming “bad” and save the day. For a rescue. A return.

A resurrection.

“I coined the word ‘eucatastrophe’: the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears (which I argued is the highest function of fairy-stories to produce). And I was there led to the view that it produces its peculiar effect because it is a sudden glimpse of Truth…this is indeed how things really do work in the Great World for which our nature is made…the Resurrection was the greatest ‘eucatastrophe’ possible…” (J.R.R. Tolkien, “Letter 89”)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is, indeed, the greatest example of a “eucatastrophe” in the history of mankind. Death to life, complete weakness to ultimate strength, total defeat to undeniable victory: this is the story God has written for the world and the one He loves to repeat over and over again.

Including right now.

We’re living in dark days. I don’t think anyone would argue that point. Humanity at large and the Church of Jesus Christ in particular are facing challenges none of us could have ever foreseen. Fear and hopelessness seem to be rampant, savagely trying to choke out every spark of light left to us. For me, specifically, the continual election tension—with the mainstream media trying to force feed us one thing while the facts clearly say another—is a prime example of how the enemy of our souls is trying to get us to completely despair, “throw in the towel”, and roll over dead.

We need a eucatastrophe.

But the thing is, we can’t know the glory of a sunrise until we’ve lived through the blackness of night. We can’t appreciate the beauty of spring until we’ve walked through the bleakness of winter. We won’t know the thrill of victory until we stand our ground and refuse to stop fighting—even when all odds are stacked against us and all Hell is chomping to bring us down. And we won’t know the power of truth until we have chosen to believe it no matter what anyone says. The key to experiencing a eucatastrophe is standing strong—in faith, in hope, in love—in the face of catastrophe. As author, speaker, and actress Priscilla Shirer puts it,

“Everybody wants to see the Red Sea divided but nobody actually wants to be the one that’s face to face with the Red Sea. Everybody wants to be the one who sees the walls of Jericho come tumbling down but nobody wants to be the one who actually has to walk around those walls in obedience to God’s Word. We want to see miracles but nobody wants to be in a place where we have to see miracles…When you’ve been compelled to do something for which you know you are outmatched but you know God’s Spirit is compelling you to do it anyway, this is your opportunity to see the power of God on display! If He’s called you to the Red Sea that means He intends to divide it—if you’ll just show up, hold out your rod, and expect that great, supernatural things are on the way!”

This is my encouragement to you, whatever impossible thing God has called you to, whatever impossible place you find yourself in at this moment…

Keep standing!

Don’t give up! Don’t give in! Find the promises of God in His Word, take your position upon them, and do not budge one inch. Set your hope completely in Jesus! Trust in Him with everything that you are! He is at work. He will show up and save the day—even if our deliverance comes through death like William Wallace, He will not waste one drop of our blood and will carry us to our glorious, breathtaking, eternal home with Him in Heaven. And, for those who remain, there is hope here on earth as well—for it is those few brave, intrepid souls who dare to face the horrors of the Black Gate who ultimately witness the destruction of darkness.

Keep standing. Keep fighting. Hold your ground. Stay the course. This could be our finest hour if we just choose to refuse defeat. Draw your sword, grasp your shield, lift up your head and smile in the fight.

Because those who endure will see the salvation of our God!

“And Moses said unto the people, ‘Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.’ ”

~ Exodus 14:13 & 14

LIVE EPIC,

CHRISTIS JOY

{Disclaimer: spiritual discernment is required when entering Tolkien’s Middle Earth—whether books or movies—because of his usage of magic, the term “wizard”, etc. For an in-depth, rather nerdy explanation of why I still love The Lord of the Rings while condemning other spiritually-charged stories—such as Harry Potter—check out this Facebook video…😊}