The Broken Again Shall Be King
If yous've talked to me nearly geeky subjects for any amount of time, you know that I am a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien'south The Lord of the Rings. As a kid, my mom bought me the books and I tore through them at the historic period of 9. I know, pretty heavy reading for a 9-year-one-time, right? Well, what tin can I say? The earth that Tolkien created gripped me, and I plant that I only couldn't put his novels down. When the movies started coming out, I was in awe as the story and the world that I had come to know and beloved came alive before my very eyes.
Inside these pages is a poem that many know, but I think few truly grasp the meaning behind it. If you're familiar with the story of The Lord of the Rings and so you know that the bailiwick of the verse form is Strider or Aragorn, the heir of Isildur, the truthful king of Gondor. The poem appears twice in The Fellowship of the Ring. The first is in Gandalf'south letter to Frodo in Bree, and the 2d at the quango of Elrond, recited past Bilbo. The repetition suggests that Tolkien wants us to grasp these words:
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached past the frost.
From the ashes a burn down shall exist woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be bract that was broken,
The crownless again shall exist king.
-J.R.R Tolkien
I've thought a lot nearly this poem, prayed over it, meditated on information technology. I wanted to pause it down and simply talk nigh it and explain what it means to me, not just equally a fan of The Lord of the Rings, but as a Christian also.
The verse form itself is really titled "All that is Gold does non Glitter," which is obviously the first line of the verse form. From a Christian perspective, this says to me that some things in life that seem good, true, and meant-to-be may non accept the luster that we wish. As I sit hither thinking virtually that first line, it really is somewhat paradoxical. We associate gilded with shine, richness, and beauty, merely sometimes we go lost in thinking something is proficient for u.s.a., when in reality it is not (much similar the 1 Ring in Tolkien's Middle Globe). Information technology'southward gold, only information technology certainly doesn't glitter. In other words, those who have the Ring dear and hate it, and Frodo himself realizes it is beautiful but also treacherous. On the other side of that coin, though, as nosotros consider the bailiwick of the verse form, Aragorn, avoids the trappings of kingship–the crown, the jewels, the shining armor–and walks the earth in simple ranger's garb. He'southward not one for showy gestures or bombastic statements. The aureate could be referring to his innate dignity, courage, valor, and humility.
When someone is lost, I automatically, equally a Christian, leap to the conclusion that they are caught in sin, neglecting God, and living a life of debauchery. Which easily can be true. Tolkien's poem takes another approach. My favorite part of this entire poem–not all those who wander are lost. Seven simple words, all of which are pretty short but together they brand a judgement that sparks really encouraging thoughts. Sometimes nosotros find ourselves in seasons of life we don't want to be in. We get hurt or betrayed, tragedy will strike, or sometimes we simply feel solitary. Merely Tolkien, existence a Christian, understood that as fallen humans, we will wander. Fifty-fifty as Christians nosotros wander! Simply it does not mean we are lost. God knows our path, and much similar the prodigal son, nosotros often come up running back to Him. In my example, that happens quite a lot. Looking again at the discipline, Aragorn wanders Middle Earth, merely he certainly isn't lost. Aragorn'due south wandering is not without purpose; rather information technology is to familiarize him with the geo-political situation of Middle Globe and to enable him to garner the noesis and skills he will need to exist an effective King.
The next 2 stanzas are: "The old that is potent does non wither, Deep roots are non reached by the frost." These two cursory parts of the verse form mean relatively the same thing in my heed. "The one-time that is strong does not wither" can be interpreted that even though something or someone is old does not mean it will too wither, much like a senior denizen nearing the end of life none-the-less has the gift of eternal life through Jesus. Although they are old and "physically" withering, spiritually they will not, nor will they e'er. As for the "Deep roots are not reached by the frost," I believe it means if you're rooted in Christ and are living for him, when the cold winds of winter come (hard times in life) yous will not be reached. Yes, times will be terrible and these times may cause waning (I wane a lot), but nevertheless the roots stand up firm.
I'grand reminded of a quote from Boromir, "Gondor wanes. But Gondor stands." I dear this message because I am "waning" correct now. I wane. Just I stand. God understands this and whether nosotros wane or stand, He is there for u.s.a.. By the time of the War of the Ring, Aragorn was 87 years old. Any common human of that age would exist "withered," but because his veins ran with the royal claret of Númenorean Ship-kings, Aragorn was in the prime of his life. He was destined to live for over two centuries before passing away, still sound of heed.
The last 4 stanzas are: "From the ashes a fire shall exist woken, A lite from the shadows shall leap; Renewed shall be bract that was broken, The crownless once more shall exist rex." For anyone who is familiar with the story, it is no secret that this is concerning the prophecy of Aragorn. Aragorn walked abroad from the life of Kinghood. He chose another path because he did not desire that power. Information technology is never truly said, but I believe information technology is considering Aragorn, despite all his impressive qualities, suffered from fear. I am not talking about fear of battle or expiry necessarily, but fright of failure. His ancestor, Isildur, failed, and Aragorn expresses this concern in the films, "The same claret runs through my veins."
In the end however, Aragorn conquers this fright. "A lite from the shadows shall bound." Aragorn comes out of the shadows. He embraces who he was meant to be. The elves re-forge the sword Narsil, the sword of Isildur and the new blade is named Anduril, The Flame of the West.
Lastly, "The crownless again shall be king" is self-explanatory in the case of Aragorn, but also is a parallel to Jesus. Jesus was given a crown of thorns when He was crucified, just when He returns, He will repossess his rightful crown and every knee volition bow and every tongue will confess. And just like the proper name of the final book in the trilogy, we will await The Return of the King.
Source: https://geeksundergrace.com/books/gold-not-glitter/
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