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 The stone monuments of Copan, Mexico stand as silent witnesses of dynasties and their wars. What brought down their kings and stilled the noise of war? Perhaps they did not know their enemy, or perchance they were divided and crumbled from within. These riddles have stumped archaeologists for decades. Warfare and rulership appear as a narrative motif in epic literature. Why does war continually darken the pages of our histories? Is it because we fail to learn some vital lesson from the past, and thus repeat our worst nightmares? Is the cause of these calamities an unsolvable riddle buried in our very nature as humans? In Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, the Dark Lord’s machinations to capture the all powerful Ring have entangled all of Middle Earth in war. Reading epic literature has similarities to a drawn out chess game, not unlike life itself. Here Gandalf educates his companions on the strategies of the Enemy. Gandalf paused for a while in thought. ‘The Enemy, of course, has long known that the Ring is abroad, and that it is borne by a hobbit. He knows now the number of our Company that set out from Rivendell. But he does not yet perceive our purpose clearly. He supposes that we were all going to Minas Tirith; for that is what he would himself have done in our place. And according to his wisdom it would have been a heavy stroke against his power. Indeed he is in great fear, not knowing what mighty one may suddenly appear, wielding the Ring, and assailing him with war, seeking to cast him down and take his place. That we should wish to cast him down and have no one in his place is not a thought that occurs to his mind. That we should try to destroy the Ring itself has not yet entered into his darkest dream. In which no doubt you will see our good fortune and our hope.’ An overarching theme of Tolkien’s book is Good vs. Evil. Even before Eden, a war in heaven was fought over who would govern the souls of Adam’s descendants. So it should not be surprising to encounter these same warring elements in our civilizations today. On the battlefields where our families are at war, armored tanks may not be visible. It matters not the time nor the place— the pattern is the same. In pre-Mayan legends, a story is told of two thousand adolescent warriors who warred against a hardened and merciless foe. The youngsters prevailed and emerged as epic heroes, for their courage saved their nation. They attributed their victory to the steadfast faith taught them by their mothers. Our youth, too, can heed those teaching moments at the dinner hour, and carry equally powerful weapons into their battles. Gems of knowledge, virtue, truth, Eternal standards for families and youth— To strengthen, protect, and to prepare A way to escape the enemy’s snare. ~C.A.McClung  |
