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MIDDLE-EARTH LOOKS SURPRISINGLY FAMILIAR
The history of man--all stories and personalities--was birthed in one thought by God, stated in Genesis 1:26: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion…"
Man was destined to rebel, and only through grace can he live out the Word of "Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven and earth must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets" (Acts 3:20-21).
Middle-earth has much the same history, only twisted a bit. Eru The One (the saga's eternal deity) reigned supreme in Over-heaven and desired to create for His own joy. He first made guardians for His future world: Valar, half-divine beings to aid in His creative acts. Eru appointed for them a realm in the Uttermost West, called the Undying Lands, for it was between Heaven and Middle-earth.
To be fashioned by the One, yet revealed to the Valar, were the forms of Dwarves, Men and Elves. The latter were firstborn among the races, immortal and sharing the One's nobility and purity in spirit. Indeed, Elves were given their own corner of the Undying Lands after a number were called to make the journey from Forestland to the Uttermost West. Willing mentors they had in the Valar, who taught them many joys including speech, sight and song. Music holds a special place in the angelic world, for it was in symphony that each being's "thoughts and devices" were made known in acknowledgement of their Creator. Harmonies and beauty flowed freely.
These concepts take some getting used to; some theologians may be downright offended. Yet through such a tale we again see what life is: the greatest story ever told, that of worship and salvation by divine grace. Of course, there must first be something to be saved from. As the Valar's song rose to Over-heaven, "it seemed good to [Eru], for in the music there was no flaws. But as the theme progressed, it came into the heart of the evil Melkor to interweave matters of his own imagination that were not in accord with the theme of the One; for he sought therein to increase the power and glory of the part assigned to himself."
Sounds like the fall of satan, and it makes one think. The great deceiver was a worshipper, wasn't he? I wonder, does my praise, like Melkor's, have elements of pride in it?
Taking with him three silmarilli-dazzling treasures of the eternal Elves and symbolic of Eden's Tree of Life-Melkor fled the Undying Lands and apportioned himself a fortress in the formerly unblemished soil of Middle-earth. Holy though they were, the Elves were never pacifists in regards to justice (a blond-haired, arrow-shooting Elf comes to mind). War ensued with little gained by the descendants of Eru; many, in fact, were wooed to the enemy's side. Among those betrayers was a powerful immortal in his own right, Sauron, known in the Third Age as the Lord of the Rings of Power. The moral? If one must be had, and only one, it must take into account the greatest danger known to man-self. The greater a creature's abilities and potential, the greater chance it will fall into "his own imagination." Matthew 23:28 records Jesus saying, "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy of lawlessness."
That is not our story's ending. Christ the Messiah, "Lord of angels, and of men-and of Elves" to quote Tolkien, came to save as Luke 1:52 makes clear: "He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly." Which brings to mind another Middle-earth race, the simple hobbits. To be continued…
- Josh M. Shepherd
Reprinted from The Oracle, Mar. 4, 2002
Reprinted from The Oracle, Mar. 4, 2002
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