This week I asked the question, “how can you incorporate the Gospel into fantasy?”
The immediately reply was “Lord of the Rings.” “Chronicles of Narnia.”
I walked straight into that one.
So you see, some of the most well known fantasy series were based on the Gospel (Tolkien is known as the father of high/epic fantasy you know). You see this in novels and movies a lot. We as humanity love stories where there is a hero. The One is what I would call him (as my dad would always say about Neo from The Matrix, how he is basically the Gospel figure). We naturally gravitate to this kind of figure (and many times we daydream how we are The One), and love stories with the hero or heroine.
As all Christians know, The One isn’t just a fantasy, but all fantasies are imitations of Him.
Back to Lord of the Rings. A conversation today.
Friend: You remind me of Samwise Gamgee
Me: Thanks…there is a post for that
Me: Sometimes I don’t want to be equated with a fat stinky hobbit (joke…quoting Gollum)
Friend: Dude, he is better than Frodo
Me: Ya, but I think everyone usually wants to be Frodo, not Sam
"I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you! " - Samwise Gamgee
When I sit down and really think about Samwise Gamgee, he really isn’t “that fat and stupid hobbit” that media portrays him (yes I am thinking about Honest Trailers on youtube right now).
He is the true brother and true friend for Frodo.
He symbolizes accountability and church in LoTR.
He is the full characterization of Galatians 6:2.
He never falters once through the entire story (both in the novel and in film adaptation, Frodo actually doesn’t falter in the book either and never betrays Sam as he did in the movie).
He actually has killed multiple orcs and fought a giant spider (Shelob) singlehandedly.
He is the second only character in the novels to fully resist the temptation of the ring (the 1st being Tom Bombadil). This scene must be the most pinnacle scene in the third book. Not even Gandalf, Galadriel, or Aragorn could accomplish this feat (they recognized their limits).
In the end, he marries the girl of his dreams, and has a wonderful family of 13 kids, rules the Shire as mayor for 7x7 consecutive years, and eventually travels across the sea to the undying lands to be with his friends.
He reveals how a Christian show grow, as he started out as a simple gardener.
He has a courageous and humble heart.
So yeah, I really need to re-think what it means to be like Samwise Gamgee. Even Tolkien himself said he was the “chief hero” of the trilogy. Let us learn to be like Sam and help shoulder the burdens and struggles of our brothers and sisters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_NmCh42hZM
Frodo: You've left out one of the chief characters - Samwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Sam. [stops and turns to Sam] Frodo: Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam. Sam: Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun; I was being serious. Frodo: So was I.
The immediately reply was “Lord of the Rings.” “Chronicles of Narnia.”
I walked straight into that one.
So you see, some of the most well known fantasy series were based on the Gospel (Tolkien is known as the father of high/epic fantasy you know). You see this in novels and movies a lot. We as humanity love stories where there is a hero. The One is what I would call him (as my dad would always say about Neo from The Matrix, how he is basically the Gospel figure). We naturally gravitate to this kind of figure (and many times we daydream how we are The One), and love stories with the hero or heroine.
As all Christians know, The One isn’t just a fantasy, but all fantasies are imitations of Him.
Back to Lord of the Rings. A conversation today.
Friend: You remind me of Samwise Gamgee
Me: Thanks…there is a post for that
Me: Sometimes I don’t want to be equated with a fat stinky hobbit (joke…quoting Gollum)
Friend: Dude, he is better than Frodo
Me: Ya, but I think everyone usually wants to be Frodo, not Sam
"I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you! " - Samwise Gamgee
When I sit down and really think about Samwise Gamgee, he really isn’t “that fat and stupid hobbit” that media portrays him (yes I am thinking about Honest Trailers on youtube right now).
He is the true brother and true friend for Frodo.
He symbolizes accountability and church in LoTR.
He is the full characterization of Galatians 6:2.
He never falters once through the entire story (both in the novel and in film adaptation, Frodo actually doesn’t falter in the book either and never betrays Sam as he did in the movie).
He actually has killed multiple orcs and fought a giant spider (Shelob) singlehandedly.
He is the second only character in the novels to fully resist the temptation of the ring (the 1st being Tom Bombadil). This scene must be the most pinnacle scene in the third book. Not even Gandalf, Galadriel, or Aragorn could accomplish this feat (they recognized their limits).
In the end, he marries the girl of his dreams, and has a wonderful family of 13 kids, rules the Shire as mayor for 7x7 consecutive years, and eventually travels across the sea to the undying lands to be with his friends.
He reveals how a Christian show grow, as he started out as a simple gardener.
He has a courageous and humble heart.
So yeah, I really need to re-think what it means to be like Samwise Gamgee. Even Tolkien himself said he was the “chief hero” of the trilogy. Let us learn to be like Sam and help shoulder the burdens and struggles of our brothers and sisters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_NmCh42hZM
Frodo: You've left out one of the chief characters - Samwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Sam. [stops and turns to Sam] Frodo: Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam. Sam: Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun; I was being serious. Frodo: So was I.
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