Mere Missions

202 • M ere M issions : M oving F orward to M ultiply

philologist, and academic, who convinced C. S. Lewis to return to the faith. He is best known as the author of the epic high fantasy works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . For those who know me, it would be uncharacteristic for me to not choose a scene from The Lord of the Rings , as I am a big fan of the movies. If you haven’t read or seen the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings , the scene will speak for itself. It would be worth your time though to watch the movies or read the book. Kingdom principles are woven throughout this gripping fantasy. Samwise Gamgee (Sam) and Frodo Baggins (Mr. Frodo), two hobbits, are confronted with the reality of life, evil, confusion, and their mission. The “John Mark” syndrome is creeping up within them. They don’t think they can move forward anymore. It may be time to shrink back and abandon the task. They are losing hope. It is dimming before their eyes. Then Sam understands. He remembers a plank to strengthen their platform so they can stand and keep moving forward. The conversation takes place in the second of three volumes, The Two Towers . Frodo: I can’t do this Sam. Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be

here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots