The Good News and The Hobbit

"....they found their path going downwards, and before long they were in a valley filled almost entirely with a mighty growth of oaks. "Is there no end to this accursed forest?" said Thorin. "Somebody must climb a tree and see if he can get his head above the roof and have a look round. The only way is to choose the tallest tree that overhangs the path."
Of course "somebody" meant Bilbo. They chose him, because to be of any use the climber must get his head above the topmost leaves, and so he must be light enough for the highest and slenderest branches to bear him. Poor Mr Baggins had never had much practice in climbing trees, but they hoisted him up into the lowest branches of an enormous oak that grew right out into the path, and up he had to go as best he could. He pushed his way through the tangled twigs with many a slap in the eye; he was greened and grimed from the old bark of the greater boughs; more than once he slipped an caught himself just in time; and at last, after a dreadful struggle in a difficult place where there seemed to be no convenient branches at all, he got near the top. All the time he was wondering whether there were spiders in the tree, and how he was going to get down again (except by falling).
In the end he poked his head above the roof of leaves, and then he found spiders all right. But they were only small ones of ordinary size, and they were after the butterflies. Bilbo's eyes were nearly blinded by the light. He could hear the dwarves shouting up at him from far below, but he could not answer, only hold on and blink. The sun was shining brilliantly, and it was a long while before he could bear it. When he could, he saw all round him a sea of dark green, ruffled here and there by the breeze; and there were everywhere hundreds of butterflies. I expect they were a kind of "purple emperor", a butterfly that loves the tops of oak-woods, but these were not purple at all, they were a dark dark velvety black without any markings to be seen.
He looked at the "black emperors" for a long time, and enjoyed the feel of the breeze in his hair and on his face; but at length the cries of the dwarves, who were now simply stamping with impatience down below, reminded him of his real business. It was no good. Gaze as much as he might, he could see no end to the trees and the leaves in any direction. His heart, that had been lightened by the sight of the sun and the feel of the wind, sank back into his toes: there was no food to go back to down below.
Actually, as I have told you, they were not far off the edge of the forest; and if Bilbo had had the sense to see it, the tree that he had climbed, though it was tall in itself, was standing near the bottom of a wide valley, so that from its top the trees seemed to swell up all round like the edges of a great bowl, and he could not expect to see how far the forest lasted. Still he did not see this, and he climbed down full of despair. He got to the bottom again at last, scratched, hot, and miserable, and he could not see anything in the gloom below when he got there. His report soon made the others as miserable as he was.
"The forest goes on for ever and ever and ever in all directions! Whatever shall we do? And what is the use of sending a hobbit!" they cried, as if it was his fault. They did not care tuppence about the butterflies, and were only made more angry when he told them of the beautiful breeze, which they were too heavy to climb up and feel."

It's likely you've heard of The Hobbit. The fantastical tale by J.R.R. Tolkien about a wizard, dwarves, and a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who set out on a quest to regain the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smog.
There are many things to be said about such literature and a debate could be had on the rights and wrongs therein, but I do not venture to tackle such a subject today. Rather, my purpose of bringing up the trouble in Mirkwood is because it came to mind the other day as I talked with a friend, who is lost in the world, about Jesus Christ...

As the adventurers (the dwarves and the hobbit) were traveling through Mirkwood the forrest was so dense that they could not tell which way they should go. And so Bilbo, because he was the smallest, was elected to scale a very tall Mirkwood tree to see if the destination and a direction could be seen.

Now maybe J.R.R. Tolkien would roll in his grave at my proposal, but lets just pretend for one moment that Bilbo climbed to the top of that oak and, not only was he struck by the glory of the sun, he also saw the end of the forest and the Lonely Mountain in the distance.
So now pretend this is you.
You're on a journey, and lost in the forest you have climbed to the top of the tree, and have discovered the appropriate direction to travel in. You come back down and begin to tell all of your friends, and any other people you may come across on your way, how to get to the Lonely Mountain.
....but they don't believe you!

It is likewise, oftentimes, the case in trying to tell people about Jesus Christ and what he has done to pay for our sins. You've seen the light, you know the way and you're eager to share the good news with anyone. You've climbed to the top of the tree and beheld Glory in the distance. "This is the way, folks! Just walk in this direction! This pathway is safe!" ...but instead, others are determined to carry on their own way, stuck in the brambles, thorns cutting at them as they go... headed in the wrong direction, only to end up in a deadly, swampy mire.

A number of years ago I picked up the dictionary and discovered, to my delight, that there were a number of wonderful words in the "D" section (Oh, the joys of alliteration!). I wrote a poem and showed it to my older brother who thought it was incredible. I was elated at his response but had no idea why he liked it so much until I'd grown older and had had more experience in the world:

Today you became convinced of the world
and it's dissolution,
And you could not fall asleep tonight 'till
you came to a conclusion.
Discontent with how things went
you strove to make discouraged,
Those who mayhap will fall a prey
to this destructive current.
This world is like a busy street
full of dissonance,
and of this distorted place you wish
to keep it at a distance.
You try in vain to explain but soon
become distraught,
because most people turn away and
hearken to you naught.
No greater inspiration comes to your
soul you see,
Than when you're in the situation of
divulging the mystery. 

 2/23/07

There are so many lost souls out there. Some look for the truth. Some would rather ignore the idea of eternity and spend their time gaining the world and losing their own soul. (Mark 8:36)
It is interesting that we Christians are so timid about sharing the way of life with others. We are taught by the world to have good manners. We are taught to respect other people's beliefs, differences; embrace diversity. And if you try to tell someone something they do not want to hear it is considered being aggressive or shoving it down their throat.
Sure, there is an element of courtesy and kindness that we all must possess when talking and sharing with others, but lately I have noticed that the Bible tells us to be quite convincing in very forward ways:

to Persuade. to Make. to Preach. to be Bold.

It says to be bold and not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. (Rom. 1:16, Eph 6:19) It says to make all men see what is the mystery of the fellowship. (Eph. 3:9) It says to be constantly ready to preach the gospel... in season, out of season (2 Tim. 4:2). It says to have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel. (Eph. 6:15) It says to persuade men. (2 Cor. 5:11)

And yet, as I stated above, adding to all of this speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Having your words seasoned with grace (Col. 4:6). Having sound speech (Titus 2:8).
Quite a challenge to find a good balance between the two, if you ask me.

Paul, the apostle, tells about being an ambassador: We're not just sitting around waiting for people to approach us with questions of eternity. Negative responses from people should not shut us up either. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
In Philippians we are told, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."


Let's say you're walking down a road, happen to hear from a passerby that farther ahead on the road you're traveling there's a dead end and told that if you take this other road you will get to paradise. So you change course. Would you just let others keep on heading in the wrong direction hoping that someone else will happen to tell them the news? Somebody's got to be that someone so why shouldn't it be you and me?

Romans 10:13-15

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? 

and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? 

and how shall they hear without a preacher?

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? 

as it is written, 

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, 

and bring glad tidings of good things!