Departed this life on Sunday, July 20th, 2008  - Feast Day of the Prophet Elijah - You will be greatly missed! To see the photos from his burial at Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox Monastery in Kendalia, Texas, see:

Orthodox Christian Burial  - Photos of Kevin's burial service.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/sets/72157606355623640/

Holy Archangels Monastery Photos - Photos of the monastery grounds on previous visits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157603855309578

See SoundSlide Photographic Tribute to Kevin (Zechariah) at: Memory Eternal, Kevin!

http://www.webng.com/mateliza/Memory%20Eternal,%20Kevin/

Please sign the family's Guest Book - See link on Right below!

 

Adams, Kevin Brent   View/Sign Guest Book KEVIN BRENT ADAMS Use Skinner Silva Funeral Home logo EDINBURG - Kevin Brent Adams, age 52, passed away Sunday, July 20, 2008, at his residence in Edinburg. He was preceded in death by his father, John Camp Adams; and a brother, Randal Bruce Adams. He is survived by his wife, Tatyana Adams; two sons, Daniel and Nikolas Adams; a daughter, Sofia Adams; by his mother, June Adams; sister, Jerene Hilliard; mother-in-law, Antonina Esko; aunt, Mary Adams; nieces, Nancy and Elisa; and nephew, Jason; and other nieces and nephews. Divine Liturgy will be held at 8 a.m. with the funeral service to follow at 9:30 a.m. today, Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at St. George's Orthodox Church, 704 W. Sam Houston with Fr. Antonio Perdomo officiating. Interment will follow at Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox Monastery in Kendalia, TX. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care of Skinner Silva Funeral Home of Pharr. Sign the guest book at www.themonitor.com Published in The Monitor on 7/22/2008

Another SoundSlide experiment for your viewing pleasure: This is Home!

Or see at: http://www.webng.com/mateliza/This%20Is%20Home/

Chronicles Of Narnia Prince Caspian Movie

This Is Home

I've got my memories
They're always
Inside of me
But I can't go back
Back to how it was
I believe now
I've seen too much
But I can't go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I've never known

Chorus:
This is home
Now I'm finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I've been searching
For a place of my own
Now I've found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home

Belief over misery
I've seen the enemy
And I won't go back
Back to how it was
And I got my heart
Set on
What happens next
I got my eyes wide
It's not over yet
We are miracles
And we're not alone

(Chorus)

And now after all
My searching
After all my questions
I'm gonna call it home
I got a brand new mindset
I can finally see
The sunset
I'm gonna call it home

(Chorus)

Now I know
Yeah, this is home

I've come too far
Now I won't go back
This is home

Okay, folks. This is my very first ever try at this sort of thing.  After many hours of editing, trial and error, I think it's almost okay to watch. The format (SoundSlides) won't let me put it up on YouTube, so you'll have to view my "baby" production on this WebNG site.

So - without further adieu - here's "Man in Black" - a tribute to all the men in black we know and love so well.

Man in Black          To read the captions/lyrics of the song as you watch, click on the bottom right hand side of the media screen where it says, of all things, "Captions."

Or link at: http://www.webng.com/mateliza/Man%20in%20Black/

 

Let me know what you all think, okay?  Our Parish website (which tells about activities at which these photos were taken) can be found at: www.stgeorgepantry.org

Our Flickr photo site with many sets of pics is at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8135007@N03/sets/

 

Pics 541

Gnomic

11 “Green” Things Any Church Community Can Do!

 

Matushka Elizabeth Perdomo

 

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof;

the world, and all that dwell therein.” ~ Psalm 24:1

 

With energy costs rising daily and consequential scenes of global warming nearly nightly on national news, it is easy to succumb to a sense of helplessness. We could spend years discussing the theology of “Christian environmentalism” and still do nothing at all. What we need, as with the wholeness of our faith, is praxis to accompany our theology. As with other parts of our life, we need to embrace a balanced “ecological asceticism.’” That is, an active and ongoing repentance and purification of heart which changes the choices we make on how to live at home and within our Parish. As Orthodox Christians and for the love of Christ and His Church, we must ask, “What can we do?”

 

The simple suggestions below can be used as springboards for other ideas within our Parish facilities and in our homes. These suggestions can be used to inspire and engage Parish youth and young adults.  Every small alteration we make can add up to big results when embraced as a permanent change. Especially when made within many parishes and countless homes! These suggestions include varying degrees of change and commitment. If you’re parish is only ready for simple baby steps, take them rather than doing nothing at all!

 

If your Parish is ready to embrace the more difficult challenges, take longer strides. With time and commitment, any Parish can make the more challenging changes. The earth belongs to the Lord. He calls all of creation “good.” Because we love Him, let us take care of that which He loves, “the world and all that dwell therein.” 

 

 

 1) Change Parish Buying Habits! What is the common denominator of most Parish coffee hours, dinners and feasts? Styrofoam disposable cups, plates and bowls! Yet, styrofoam virtually never disintegrates, and if burned, releases highly toxic fumes into the atmosphere.  Here are some simple suggestions, starting with the easiest first: As a Parish (Parish Council, Women’s Group, Youth Group – whatever!) make a commitment to purchase only non-styrofoam disposables. Rather, purchase paper coffee cups, plates, bowls, etc.  These cost slightly more, but the end cost to us all are much less. Even disposable plastic cold drink cups are better than Styrofoam! When we first moved to our current Parish, my teenage daughters wrote a letter to the Parish Council making argument for this cause, which the Council approved. Occasionally, purchasers forget this and the girls “remind” them to buy paper next time. If plastic cups are used for cold drinks, for example, during Church School, Meetings, Youth Retreats or Youth Group Meetings, other Retreats, etc., we always provide several “sharpie” water proof markers for participants to use. We ask them to write their name on their cup and to use it more than once, rather than grabbing a new cup each time they want a sip of water. Think about “Real” Coffee Mugs!  One Parish we often visited when we lived in New Mexico had a large board with cup hooks on it. People in the Parish brought and hung up their own cups, with plenty of extras donated for use by guests. After every coffee hour or dinner, each person just washed their own cup (or, if it was being used, placed them in the dish washer) and they were hung up for use “next time.”  I once had a fantasy about real cups becoming a “standard issue” to each new Orthodox seminarian. A nice, large, enameled coffee mug (with school logo on it, of course!), for them to use in seminary activities, cafeterias, dorms, etc., could easily be slipped into or clipped onto those heavy college backpacks!  What about “real” everything? Yes, I know, that means dishes to wash. But, a lifetime of using inexpensive flatware, plates, cups, etc. really adds up in environmental costs. Maybe teams from the teen youth groups could take turns hand washing or filling church dish washers? Believe it or not, washing dishes with friends at events can be a fun and memorable event. Perhaps the youth could then be rewarded in some way by the parish? Maybe they would enjoy a special pizza night? Or better, assistance with Orthodox camp scholarships?  Be creative!

2) Recycle! How many aluminum cans generated from Orthodox Parishes and Parish-sponsored fundraising events held throughout America are simply thrown into trashcans and hauled off to local landfills each week? The number would be staggering. Yet, one of the easiest forms of recycling is to set up specially marked repositories for the disposal of aluminum cans. Label and place aluminum can repositories in easy to find and use places, in your church hall or festival grounds. Perhaps the youth group could collect these, cash them in, and use the funds for a special project or, again, for camp or retreat scholarships? Perhaps the women’s or men’s group could take charge and use the funds for purchasing consumable goods for the parish? If there is space, interest and those who can clearly follow up on the process, place notices in Church calendars and bulletins. Ask Parishioners to bring their crushed aluminum cans to church – perhaps the 1^st Sunday of each month – to add to those used within the Parish and its special fundraising events. When at all possible, do not buy non-recyclable plastic individual serving sized soft drinks, waters, etc. Rather, use larger sizes of soft drink bottles and large, insulated thermal or other water coolers, which can hold 5 gallons of water. For camp, youth retreats, vacation Bible school, seminars and other events, give each participant a non-disposable water bottle – and the obligatory sharpie with which to write their name – and have them refill and use the bottle throughout the event. Keep plenty of refill water available and easy to access!  In our Parish, we also ask people to bring plastic grocery bags for us to recycle and use in our St. George’s Food Pantry. Our Food Pantry also reuses and recycles cardboard boxes. In addition, scrap office paper and printer ink cartridges can be recycled in nearly any parish.                     

3) Go Native! Using native plant and tree species in designing or renovating parish grounds can help conserve water and enhance the food and shelter of local wildlife species.  Adding water-conserving soaker hose systems can also help with precious water use and expenses. The Youth, Young Adults and/or Scout Troops of your parish might be interested in becoming involved in a planting or re-planting project of this kind. Choose native species or those well adapted to the local climate and geography, not simply because they are used in commercial plantings! If you don’t know what species to choose, talk to local plant conservation organizations, nature centers or your local agricultural extension office.  They will likely recommend both species and local nursery sources for use on a Parish’s property. If your climate and property allow, think about planting food-producing fruit or nut trees to feed the parish and the hungry. If you have the space, think about establishing Community Vegetable Gardens or gardens to feed the poor. Make new or renovated plantings in the proper season, so plants can establish themselves before the hot summer season. This will take considerably less water and reduce the possibility of losing plants. In very hot, dry climates, consider xeriscaping options. Xeric means dry. A xeriscape utilizes plants requiring very little or no watering, often interspersed in landscaping stones. Consider plant and tree species that will specifically add food sources, nesting sites and shelter for birds and other native wildlife. Strongly consider adding at least one water feature to your parish’s property – even if just a simple birdbath. If your local parish owns a considerable amount of property, consider leaving (or ‘cultivating’) a portion of it as a wild space – a mini-wildlife pres erve. Development in most urban areas has considerably reduced suitable habitat for native wildlife species. Doing just a little with our Parish properties can do a lot towards nurturing and preserving birds and other species. Local nature societies are great resources and possible partners in any such effort. A neighbor of our church has only 2 acres, but they have created a wonderful wildscape, with native plants and trees, feed and water sites, trails, etc. People come from all over the nation to photograph the rare birds and other animals that come to this urban wildlife preserve. In the case of Orthodox Parishes and other properties, outdoor icon shrines and benches for prayer and quiet meditation would be perfect additions as well! A “Children’s Garden” with paths and special sites can be a wonderful outdoor, nature and teaching addition to your property.

 

 

3) Go Native! Using native plant and tree species in designing or renovating parish grounds can help conserve water and can help enhance the food and shelter of local wildlife species.  Adding water conserving soaker hose systems can also help with precious water use and expenses. The Youth, Young Adults and/or Scout Troops of you parish might be very interested in becoming involved in a planting or re-planting project of this kind. Choose native species or those well adapted to the local climate and geography, and not simply because they are used in commercial plantings! If you don’t know what species to choose, talking to local plant conservation organizations, nature centers or your local agricultural extension office.  They could likely recommend both species and local nursery sources for use on a Parish’s property. If your climate and property allow, think about planting food-producing fruit or nut trees – to feed the parish and the hungry. If you have the space, think about establishing Community Vegetable Gardens or gardens to feed the poor as well. Make new or renovated plantings in the proper season, so plants can well establish before the hot summer season. This will take considerably less water and will reduce the possibility of loosing plants. In very hot, dry climates, consider xeriscaping options. Xeric means dry. A xeriscape utilizes plants requiring very little or no watering, often interspersed in landscaping stones.

Consider plant and tree species which will specifically add food sources, nesting sites and shelter for birds and other native wildlife. Strongly consider adding at least one water feature to your parish’s property – even if a simple birdbath. If your local parish owns a considerable amount of property, consider leaving (or ‘cultivating’) a portion of it as a wildspace – a mini-wildlife preserve. Development in most urban areas has considerably reduced suitable habitat for native wildlife species. Doing just a little with our Parish properties can do a lot towards nurturing and preserving bird and other species. Local nature societies would be great resources and partners in any such effort. Williams Wildscapes, a neighbor of our church, is composed of only 2 acres. However, they have created a wonderful wildscape, including pathways surrounded by native plants and trees, feed and water sites, trails, etc. People come from all over the nation to photograph the rare birds and other animals which come to this urban wildlife preserve. In the case of Orthodox Parishes and other properties, outdoor icon shrines and benches for prayer and quiet meditation would be perfect additions as well! A “Children’s Garden” with paths and special sites can be a wonderful outdoor, nature and teaching addition to your property.

 

4) Turn it down or turn it off!  When office machines, kitchen appliances or media equipment are not being used, turn it off! This can reduce energy costs by 25%. Turning off computers at the end of the day can save an additional 50%. When rooms or portions of a facility are not in use, turn off lights and adjust the air conditioning and/or heat accordingly. Timed controls for larger facilities can help save considerably on unnecessary utility usage.

Hot water heaters should be turned down as well. In most cases, the lowest setting is perfectly adequate.

 

5) Paper Use: Reduce, recycle, reuse!  Church offices and educational departments can conserve and use printer paper as wisely as possible. If something is a draft, print it on the back of used paper to “recycle” the other side. Print it on “draft” to conserve expensive ink. Use both sides of paper when possible, especially when printing materials to distribute. Buy and use only recycled printer paper and recycle your used paper as well.  If one must send a fax, use a fax cover sheet only when required.  Write phone messages on “recycled” papers which are printed on one side. Stacks of these can easily be cut into ¼’s and stapled together at the top. Church school teacher and teaching materials can be laminated or put into plastic sleeves and notebooks so they can be better preserved and used for many years.  Whenever possible, encourage inter-parish communications by email, including news, event notices, newsletters and more. Print only those things for which you actually need a hard copy. File, label and reuse as many times as possible printed copies for choir and church school use.

 

6) Don’t Flush Away Extra Water!  Most older bathroom toilets waste gallons of water with each flush. This adds up to a considerable amount of precious fresh water in the course of a Church Year! Place one or two plastic containers filled with sand or stones [not bricks] in the toilet’s reservoir tank. It will displace about 4 litres of water per flush. When remodeling, renovating or building a new facility, strongly consider purchasing water conserving toilet units.

 

7) Watch those costly leaks!  Running toilets, dripping faucets and leaky spigots can waste more water than one can imagine! Simple repairs are often all that is required. One water drop per second wastes 10,000 litres per year!

If an exterior spigot leaks, or there water is released from an air conditioning system, at least place some sort of shallow container under the drip so birds and other small wildlife can access the water for drinking.

 

8) Fan Away the Heat! Whether your parish is in an older facility, or you’re considering renovations or the

building of an entirely new structure, remember that ceiling fans can help reduce the need for more costly air conditioning. The liberal addition of relatively inexpensive ceiling fans can distribute the cool air from air conditioning, making a room feel much more comfortable at less cost and energy use. Likewise in winter, fans set on low speed can help distribute heat.

Ceiling fans can even help in covered outdoor spaces. We have two on our Parish Hall's patio, and it keeps the space much more comfortable - enough so that it is often used as a "class room" for Church School sessions for the older teens and young adults.

9) Let there be light! Where possible, retrofit newer fluorescent type light bulbs to replace hot and more energy-costly incandescent bulbs. If renovating space or building a new facility, plan in both fluorescent lighting and sky lights, to allow natural light into rooms. One women’s monastery we often visit has wonderful sky lights. I often think an electric light is already on in the bathroom and try to turn off the switch before leaving! Well placed windows and sky lights can greatly reduce the need for day-time electric light sources. 

 

 

10) Explore Alternative Energy Sources. We think about adding good insulation, double paned windows, energy-efficient heat and air conditioning sources and appliances when we build and/or renovate our homes. Why not consider the same things in your parish?  The choice of better energy efficient building materials and insulation are readily available. More hard-core additions, such as solar panels, wind powered generators and such, should at least be explored when new structures are being planned. Plan for the future, not only of our Parish buildings, but also of the good earth in which God has placed us as stewards and caretakers.  

 

11) Reduce Gas Consumption from Commuting!  No, don’t reduce the number of Church Services! Rather, cluster other activities and meetings around the central liturgical services of the Church. Pastors, Parish Councils, Church Choirs, Youth Programs and more can consider gas consumption required from commuting when planning events, activities or staff office work time. For those parishes fortunate enough to have full or part time office staff or an office used by its clergy, consider going to a 3-4 day work week for “in office” activities. Spend the other days “telecommuting” – working from a home computer and home or cellular telephone. Try to schedule meetings, such as catechumen classes, youth group activities and parish council meetings around liturgical services, which people (hopefully) will already be attending. For example, rather than scheduling an extra evening Parish Council meeting to which people must make an extra drive, hold them on Sunday afternoon, after Divine Liturgy and Coffee Hour. Or, schedule meetings or classes after a Wednesday night Daily Vespers Service. This can also be a good time for Church School or Catechumen/Inquirer’s Classes as well. One parish in our Diocese holds Church School for Children only once a month, for several hours on Saturday afternoon, ending just prior to Great Vespers. Teen and Young Adult meetings can also take place on Sunday afternoons, and then people are already assembled at the Church.   Our Parish’s choir practices take place on Sunday mornings, just prior to Hours, when people are already heading for Church. These considerations are especially helpful in areas where those attending a parish come from a widely disbursed geographical area. Offer a ride to church or church activities and "car pool" with an elderly person, college student or others who live nearby. You'll not only save cas and vehicle use, but you will also have a wonderful opportunity to get to better know your neighbors and family in Christ. 

 

"O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all..." ~ Psalm 103

 

 For Other Reference Sources (in no particular order) See:

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Environmental_ethics

http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/environment/

http://www.ottawacathedral.org/news.html#orthodoxEnvironment08

http://www.ottawacathedral.org/news.html#orthodoxEnvironment08-02

http://www.arcworld.org/faiths.asp?pageID=121

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2065/is_3_54/ai_92136466/print?tag=artBody;col1

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2065/is_3_54/ai_92136466/pg_2

http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=14-01-066-b

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=221

http://methodius.blogspot.com/2007/10/orthodox-environmentalism.html 

http://www.christianecology.org/CarlPope.html

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/bron/PDF--Christianity/Makrides--Christianity--Greek%20Orthodox%20(contemporary).pdf

More on the Environment

Analyzing Ethically Orthodox Sources for Addressing Ecological Issues. By Rev. Dr. Stanley Harakas

The Black See in Crisis. By Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon

Ecological Asceticism: A Cultural Revolution. By Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon

Globalization. By Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo

Orthodoxy and Ecological Problems: A Theological Approach. By Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon

Orthodoxy and the Environment. By Robert Flanagan

Orthodoxy and the Environment: A Life of Wonder. By Robert Flanagan

Orthodoxy and the Environment: Holiness of Place. By Robert Flanagan

 

 

 

An Orthodox Statement on the Environmental Crisis

With these words, the Liturgy captures the heart of the Orthodox vision and understanding of our relationship both to creation and creator. Creation- ourselves included – is of God. We do not own creation but are the free agents through whom creation is offered to the creator.

The purpose of creation is summed up in its worship of the creator. This is most beautifully expressed in the Christmas Hymn.

“What shall we offer Thee, O Christ, who for our sake was seen on earth as man? For everything created by Thee offers Thee thanks. The angels offer Thee their hymn; the heavens, the star; the Magi, their gifts; the shepherds, their wonder; the earth, the cave; the wilderness, the manger; while we offer Thee a Virgin Mother, O pre-eternal God, have mercy upon us…”

(Hymn for vespers, Christmas Day)

The whole of the universe worships and offers gifts to its Creator. In the very shape of the churches and the placing of icons, mosaics or frescoes within them we find a microcosm of the universe which clarifies the role both of humanity and the rest of creation in relation to God. For it is an expression not just of what is on earth today, but of what exists in heaven and what is to come – the eschatological promise and the redemptive transformation of all creation through the salvation wrought by Christ Jesus. This is expressed by St Paul in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 8. As the Greek Fathers have also taught,

“God became man so that man can become God, while creation can be transfigured by the action of the uncreated energies of God (St Gregory Palamas).

In worship, the Orthodox Church conveys this profound understanding of creation. In particular, the role of humanity as the priesthood of creation is most clearly shown. For instance, the prayers and psalms tell us of the sanctification of all creation. Every day in our Vespers, we sing Psalm 103 which says:

“Bless the Lord all his works. In all places of his dominion, bless the Lord O my soul.”

It is captured in our blessings for all manner of elements of creation. The blessing of waters shows us the sanctifying and redemptive power given to an element of creation through the invocation of the Holy Spirit by the Church. The blessings for all manner of natural elements such as the fields, vineyards, first fruits, wheat etc, show how the Church recognises the transformation of all aspects of creation through the salvation and glorification of humanity and thus of all creation.

“Therefore, O King who lovest mankind, do Thou thyself be present now as then through the descent of Thy Holy Spirit, and sanctify this water. And confer upon it the grace of redemption, the blessing of the Jordan.
Make it a source of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a remission of the sins, a protection against disease, a destruction to demons, inaccessible to the adverse powers and filled with angelic strength: that all who draw from it and partake of it may have it for the cleansing of their soul and body, for the healing of their passions, for the sanctification of their dwellings, and for every purpose that is expedient.
For thou art our God, who hast renewed through water and spirit our nature grown old through sin. Thou art our God, who hast drowned sin though water in the days of Noah. Thou art our God who, through the waters of the sea, at Moses’ hand set free the Hebrew nation from the bondage of Pharaoh. Thou art our God who, has cleft the rock in the wilderness: the waters gushed out, the streams overflowed, and thou hast satisfied Thy thirsty people. Thou art our God who by water and fire through Elijah has brought back Israel from the error of Baal.
Do Thou Thyself, O Master, now as then sanctify this water by Thy Holy Spirit. Grant to all those who touch it, who anoint themselves with it or drink from it, sanctification, blessing, cleansing and health.”
(Prayer for Blessing of Waters and Theophany)

Orthodox worship is about the celebration and thus the use of all aspects of the senses. It is about sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. It uses and appreciates the material - be that wood and paint, writing materials, bread and wine or burning incense.



In iconography it takes the material and sanctifies it. The use of materials to make icons and the presence of elements of the natural world in most icons – animals, plants, countryside, mountains, rivers – all affirm the God-given nature of creation; its transfiguration and its place with us in salvation. The anti-gnostic teachings of the Church mean that the material world is held to be of God and is thus, in its essence, good.

In a similar way, Byzantine Churches were built in harmony, one might even say communion, with their natural surroundings. The art and architecture were not autonomous, but together with iconography and chant they contribute to the ethos of worship, giving it its physical, material expression. Thus it was natural that absolute symmetry was usually avoided; each architectural feature retained its own character while maintaining complete harmony with the overall conception.

At the centre of worship is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is also the most sublime expression and experience of creation transformed by God the Holy Spirit through redemption and worship. In the form of bread and wine, material from creation moulded into new form by human hands, is offered to God with the acknowledgement, spelt out in the words that started this Orthodox Statement:



- meaning that all of creation is God’s and that we are returning that which is His - in the sense that this captures the primordial relationship of Adam to both God and Creation. It is a sign of the restoration of that relationship and even more than that a foretaste of the eschatological state of creation. When we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, God meets us in the very substance of our relationship with creation and truly enters into the very being of our biological existence.

From this, we know that humanity occupies the most special place of all creation - but that it is not the whole of creation. We know that, since everything comes is from God (as is revealed for the instance in Job 38-39) we must respect creation and acknowledge that we are not its owners, but only the ones who may enhance it with the use of our technology and skill so as to offer it again to its creator. There is no escape from the conclusion that we are responsible before God for the care of creation. It is our responsibility to protect its extraordinary richness and conserve, through wise use, its resources, not least that of the greedy exercise of that power.

Just as the priest at the Eucharist offers the fullness of creation and receives it back as the blessing of Grace in the form of the consecrated bread and wine, to share with others, so we must be the channel through which God’s grace and deliverance is shared with all creation. The human being is simply yet gloriously the means for the expression of creation in its fullness and the coming of God’s deliverance for all creation.

“He who speaks contemptuously against the humble man and does not consider him an animate creature, is like one who has opened his mouth against God. And through the humble man is contemptible in his eyes, his honour is esteemed by all creation. The humble man approaches ravening beasts, and when their gaze rests upon him, their wilderness is tamed, they come up to his as to their Master, wag their heads and tails and lick his hands and feet, for they smell coming from him the same scent that exhaled from Adam before the fall, when they were gathered before him and he gave them names in Paradise. This was taken away from us, but Jesus has renewed it, and given it back to us through His Coming. This it is which has sweetened the fragrance of the race of men.”
Homily 77 from: The ascetical homilies of S.Isaac the Syrian.

But when we look today at our world, we see a very different picture. Humanity’s rebellion, pride and greed has shattered the primordial relationship with Adam. It has ignored or discarded the Church’s understanding of our role as priests of creation. For now we behave like the exploiters and robbers of creation. By doing so, we have brought not just species but entire eco-systems to destruction. Our world is facing a crisis of death and corruption to a degree never before experienced. The Fathers of the Church, while being able to recognise sin as the basic cause, never had to experience such all-embracing and life-threatening consequences of sin to creation as we do today.



Throughout the world, forest are being destroyed by fires and logging; wetlands are being drained for development and agriculture; species are disappearing as a result of greed and ignorance; natural resources are being wasted faster than they are being replenished; waters are being soiled and skies polluted. The global crisis is threatening the very world upon which we human beings depend.

We must attempt to return to a proper relationship with the Creator AND the creation. This may well mean that just as a shepherd will in times of greatest hazard, lay down his life for his flock, so humans may need to forego part of their wants and needs in order that the survival of the natural world can be assured. This is a new situation – a new challenge. It calls for humanity to bear some of the pain of creation as well as to enjoy and celebrate it. It calls first and foremost for repentance – but of an order not previously understood by many.

“Love all God’s creation, the whole of it and every grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. And once you have perceived it, you will begin to comprehend it ceaselessly, more and more everyday. And you will at last come to love the whole world with an abiding universal love. Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and untroubled joy. Do not therefore trouble it, do not torture them, do not deprive them of their joy, do not go against God’s intent.” Fyodor Mikhail Dostoevsky

But repentance – words- without action are meaningless. As Christ says:



But we must call for an approach to give expression in our everyday life, to this repentance.

The monastic and ascetic traditions of the Orthodox Church have important insights for us.
• 1. They develop sensitivity to the suffering of all creation. There are many stories of great saints living side by side with other creatures, sharing their everyday life.
• 2. They offer a celebratory use of resources of creation in a spirit of “ enkrateia” and liberation from the passions. Within such a tradition many human beings have experienced a more profound joy and a more lasting satisfaction than the ephemeral and illusory pleasures of a consumer society would lead us to consider possible.
• 3. The emphasis on community rather than individual in the cenobitic monastic tradition is central to a balanced understanding of our needs

It is in this asceticism that many of us will experience the pain which is that of the shepherd willing to suffer for the sake of his flock. For without substantial changes in how we live and what we expect from life, we will fail to fulfil our God-given role in creation.

Many, too many, of us have allowed greed, selfishness and simple ignorance to alter our world and the way we relate to it. Our agricultural land, once clean and productive, has been spoiled by excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. By burning out fast-disappearing forests, unscrupulous land grabbers are destroying a fragile resource simply to gain illegal title to land. Developers who dump raw sewage into our once crystal-clear seas and who build haphazardly on out beaches are attacking not only those of us who are content with living in harmony with nature, a nature that is fast vanishing, but are attaching so many aspects of creation as a whole.

We cannot continue plundering God’s creation without reaping the results of its eventual destruction. We should also note that we cannot look at creation and decide what is useful, what is not. Jesus taught us that it was through those things which men call foolish that God has often spoken to us. The weak, the ‘useless’, the foolish, the broken, have to be taken as part of the whole of creation, for through them we can often glimpse more of God than through the great, the powerful and the useful.

Who on earth would look at a pink, tiny forest flower and guess that the rosy periwinkle is responsible for virtually eradicating childhood leukaemia? Should the needs of sea turtles to nest and reproduce on Zakynthis and Akamas - virtually their only Mediterranean nesting sites - be recognised as fully as those of the tourists to enjoy themselves? Nature abounds with thousands of examples of seemingly useless or even harmful pests, reptiles, plants and mammals. Yet when examined more closely, what is harmful or useless to some species maybe crucial to others. We are in no position to make that judgement. He who is has not set a sliding scale on the value of that which will be allowed to survive and that which will not.

We need to constantly encounter and be challenged by the profound teachings of the Church and by the cry of creation. It is the flock over which we have been set but which now lies victim to our faithlessness. Our model can only be the One who came to be the shepherd: Jesus Christ.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, 1990
Assisted by WWF, with the translation and publication in a booklet made possible by Theodore and Margarita Samourka, and the Samourkas Foundation.

 

From: http://www.arcworld.org/faiths.asp?pageID=121

 

Below is a paper written by my young Orthodox convert friend from Mississippi, who now resides in Connecticut. I think you'll enjoy it as well! 

 

With Groans and Travail: An Investigation of the Theme of Redemption in The Lord of the Rings

 

Justin Griffing

 

 

In reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the reader is presented with a legendarium which is rich with inspiration from a variety of sources, taking elements of story as has existed from early on in man’s literary and oratory traditions and adding it to that which “has always been boiling, and…  have continually been added new bits, dainty and undainty” (Tolkien, The Tolkien Reader, 52).  Scholarly attention has been given, and rightly so, to the exploration of the influences of individual paradigms of story from given cultures as the inspirations behind Tolkien’s epic.  Chief among the cultures that are seen to inspire the peoples of the Middle-Earth are a “mixing and matching of Teuton and Celt” (Burns, Perilous Realms, 14).  From these two cultures, Tolkien seeks to weave a mythology as he sees it should have been for Britain and, in doing so, glorifies the pagan lore and society of both the Teuton and the Celt.  One cannot discount, however, the fact that Tolkien was a devout Catholic and would likely answer the view of his glorification of pagan society with the belief of Christianity as the capping of that culture and a completion of it.  This unwillingness to discount Christianity as a source must then lead to the question of what impact it plays in the weaving of Tolkien’s story, what ingredients it causes to bubble up within his cauldron.  The primary playing out of the Christian myth in The Lord of the Rings comes in the theme of redemption as it plays out in Middle-Earth, both on a cosmic level and on a personal level.

          Whenever looking at the theme of redemption in any tale, it is important to first begin with an understanding of what is signified by the term redemption.  In looking at Tolkien’s work, redemption can be taken as a sense of recovery, escape, and consolation, which are seen as effects of fairy stories (Tolkien, The Tolkien Reader, “On Fairy-Stories”).  The effect of redemption can be seen as the experience of these by the inhabitants of the realm of Tolkien’s sub-creation and indeed the experience of them by the realm itself.  From its creation, Arda suffers from the attempts of Melkor to mar it with the image of his own view of what creation should be.  In this earliest witness of the legendarium, presented in The Silmarillion, is given a situation that brings to mind the Judeo-Christian image of creation after which Lucifer, the highest of the angels, seeks to set himself above the Creator God.  This is paralleled in Tolkien’s cosmology in which Melkor, who is “[t]he mightiest of those Ainur who came into the World” (Tolkien, The Silmarillion, 14) rebels against the music given to the Ainur by Ilúvatar – the Creator God.  From the point of his rebellion, Arda suffers from Melkor’s and later his lieutenant Sauron’s attempts to gain control of it.  These attempts and the effects that the incomplete successes of two will have form the primary situation from which Arda needs to be redeemed.

          This need for redemption on the part of all of creation, not just the human and demi-human inhabitants of it, mirrors the words of St. Paul when he writes that all of creation “shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption… [and] groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:20-21).  This view that the whole of creation groans and travails in pain can very easily be seen in the works of Tolkien’s sub-creation.  When one reads of the land of Mordor, Faramir speaks that even Minas Morgul, sitting on its borders “passed into evil very long ago… a menace and a dread” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 677) and, knowing Frodo goes there, speaks of the land of Mordor in general as a dead land through his remark “[i]f ever beyond hope you return to the lands of the living” (Tolkien, 678).  These passages show that the land of Mordor, the seat of the Enemy’s power, could certainly be said to groan and travail in pain, yet even more of Middle-Earth can be said to do so.  Even the lands of the Shire, under the evil touch of Sauruman, a parody of Sauron’s lieutenancy to Melkor, need this redemption.  This redemption, on the cosmological level of relieving the realm of Middle-Earth from its pain, can be seen primarily as Tolkien’s view of recovery, “seeing things as we are (or were) meant to see them” (Tolkien, The Tolkien Reader, 77).  This recovery allows for the seeing of things as they are meant to be seen primarily because things are restored to the way that they should be, not the way they have become under the influence of the Enemy.

          If recovery is the restoration of the cosmos to that state which it was created to be, the first step in redemption according to Tolkien’s plan must be that of escape.  The escape that Middle-Earth as a whole seeks is tied in to the recovery of what it should be because only by its escape can recovery take place.  The escape must not be from the physical realm of Middle-Earth, but from the tyranny of the Dark Lord.  His goal, like that of his master, is to bring the entirety of Middle-Earth under his reign.  This can be clearly compared to the Christian conception of Satan as “the prince of this world” (John 12:31), though a supernatural power seeking to conquer the world is not remotely unique to Christian scripture and Tolkien.  Ultimately, this escape can only come about through the defeat of Sauron.  For as long as he is not defeated completely, he will return to constantly continue his attempt at the subjugation of Middle-Earth.  His defeat, ultimately must come from the rising of a messianic figure, just as the Christian belief of redemption only occurs through the action of a Messiah, the Christ.  After this escape is achieved comes the effect of redemption – the state of consolation.

          The concept of consolation is one that cannot be overlooked in discussion this theme of redemption.  It is both the satisfaction of ancient desires, especially escape from death, and the more important “Consolation of the Happy Ending” (Tolkien, The Tolkien Reader, 85).  The lord of death in the epic certainly seems to be Sauron, as we’ll see later, and so that aspect of consolation is an escape from him as mentioned before.  The concern seems not death in general, but the escape to be able to have a good death.  However, as Tolkien, we are more concerned with the more important consolation.  While some critics will argue, and rightly so, that evil in Middle-Earth is not destroyed, Tolkien would not abandon this important consolation in his ultimate fairy-story.  Therefore, we can feel upheld in saying that the history and redemption of Middle-Earth as we know it through the history we are presented ends with what is ultimately a happy ending.  Some critics might even say it has a few too many happy endings.  This happy ending, however, seems tied into Tolkien’s sense of eucatastrophe, which he links indelibly to the Gospel with Christ’s resurrection bringing a good turn, and indeed the best possible, to the catastrophe of the passion.  This same eucatastrophe can be seen in the epic.  As all seems lost, the power of the Dark Lord is overthrown and the free peoples victorious.  Though evil may continue on in Middle-Earth, the happy ending is that the two sources of evil it has always known, Morgoth and Sauron, are both now defeated and imprisoned or powerless.

          At the root of the cosmological question of redemption, both in The Lord of the Rings and in the Christian myth, is the question of how redemption is ushered in and bestowed at the level of the cosmos and the level of the person.  Growing out of its Judaic roots, Christianity presents the need for a Messiah or Christ, these two terms coming from the Hebrew and Greek for ‘Anointed One’.  In Christianity, this Messiah is identified in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  He is seen as both human and divine, with the Council of Chalcedon producing the definition of diophysitism: that the one person of Jesus held in it both a fully divine nature and a fully human nature.  This will play an important role in the identification of a messianic figure in Tolkien’s epic.  As one looks at the epic, two possible figures for this messianic vocation come to mind, being Aragorn and Frodo.  A basing of a messianic figure on the Christian Messiah with his two natures allows Tolkien to split this Messianic role into two natures: the spiritual or divine and the martial or the human.  In accepting this scheme in The Lord of the Rings, we are able to not see this figure as Aragorn or Frodo, but as both.  Admittedly, this argument has some weaknesses, chief among them being the fact that Aragorn and Frodo are two persons instead of two natures joined into one and the fact that there seems a “failure” on the part of Frodo when it comes time to destroy the Ring.  However, these arguments shall be answered in their turn.

          The first figure to look at in this question is the figure of Aragorn.  As one searches the messianic prophecies of Judeo-Christian scriptures, one of the first identifications of the Messiah is that of a King.  The very identification as one anointed is reminiscent of the Hebrew practice of the anointing of kings.  Second would come passages in the Psalms such as “[y]et I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion” (Psalms 2:6) and the words of David, the King, again “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand” (Psalms 110:1).  These passages, both traditionally taken as Messianic references show the expectation of the Messiah as King, therefore it is natural that Tolkien’s messianic figure would be of kingly stature.  This can be taken further to examine that Aragorn himself is crowned as the High King, a position which by definition has lesser kings below it.  This can be taken as reminiscent of the reference to the Christian Messiah as “King of Kings” (Revelation 19:16). 

          On the subject of kingship, the question can arise, however, as to whether Aragorn’s kingship is legitimately seen in a Messianic fashion or whether his kingship can be seen as simply an image of Christian kingship as envisioned by monarchial societies.  Monks, in her essay on kingship and Christianity in Tolkien and Lewis, puts forth the idea of Aragorn simply as a Christian king, saying “The translation of his name, ‘lord of the trees’, has led some to equate him with Christ.  I do not believe this to be true” (“Christianity and Kingship in Tolkien and Lewis”, 7).  Part of the danger in this is whether the Christian king is seen only as a king who rules in the model of Christian virtues or whether a Christian king is an image, an icon, of Christ.  This is a parallel that is certainly seen in the medieval times, especially in the Eastern Empire, where the emperor is understood as such.  This is seen in the seventh ecumenical council of the Christian Church, held in Nicea, which upholds the Emperor as an icon of Christ as long as his orthodoxy is maintained  However, this question does lead us to need to look at other traits of Aragorn’s beyond simple kingship in order to see him more surely in a Messianic mold.

          When Aragorn, in the fifth book of the Epic, comes to Minas Tirith, but does not enter, the healer-woman Ioreth speaks of the impossibility of saving Faramir and laments the lack of a king, saying “For it is said in old lore: The hands of the king are the hands of a healer.  And so the rightful king could ever be known” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 842).  Aragorn has already shown that in his hands lie the hands of a healer through his use of athelas to heal Frodo (193) and later in his ability to heal those in the houses of healing.  This characteristic of being able to bring healing to those who most need it is characteristic also of the prophecies of the Messiah, such as the passage that quotes Isaiah as saying “and healed that were sick:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken… Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:16-17).  This healing ability is something that is seen in the hands of the king and sets him apart from the very beginning, though at first it can perhaps be dismissed as simply knowledge of herbs.  By the time it is revealed in its fullness in the houses of healing, it is worthy of note that neither Theoden nor Eomer, both kings in their own right, are shown to have the hands of a healer.  This makes it clearer that the old lore exists not as a generalization, but seemingly more as a prophecy for the recognition of a specific king, who comes under much humbler guise.

          Another image that leads towards a conception of Aragorn as a Christian Messiah is that of the White Tree.  From a search of literature on the topic of a literary view of the Christian tradition and Tolkien, this seems the area to have received some attention.  The marriage of Aragorn and Arwen, and thus the continuation of the kingdom through his line, depends upon the renewal of the White Tree, which has sat in the courtyard of Minas Tirith and is the “scion o the Eldest of Trees” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 950).  This dependency of life upon the tree, the life of Aragorn’s line and the kingdom, seems a direct consideration of the Tree of Life that plays into the Christian myth of Eden and the fall of man, though Flieger notes Tolkien’s reluctance to have that fall happen onstage, lest his tale, “already… too like a parody of Christianity” be made “completely so” (Interrupted Music, 51).  However, just as a “tree of life”, which doesn’t seem an uncalled for appellation for the White Tree, stands withered in comparison to the tree in Eden, this new tree, also a “scion of the Eldest of Trees” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 950) can be held up in comparison to the cross of Christ.  As the cross of Christ is that by which he is glorified, seen by his prayer in the garden of Gethsemane prior to his betrayal and crucifixion (John 12:31), so too is Aragorn ultimately glorified by the finding of this new budding White Tree.  While it cannot be doubted that there are other trees of crowning glory in myth, the Yggdrassil of Norse myth for example, it would be difficult not to draw a comparison between these two white trees and the early patristic comparison between the Edenic Tree of Life and Christ’s Cross.  This is made even more difficult to ignore because of medieval English Christian legend that the sons of Adam took the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and planted its seeds in Adam’s grave.  The tree that grew up there is said to be the cross that is hewn down for the creation of Christ’s Cross, the new Tree of Life.  The fact that Aragorn finds a tree grown from the fruit taken from Nimloth by Elendil seems to beg comparison (Vaccaro, “And One White Tree”, 24-26).

          The next aspect of Aragorn’s claim to a messianic figure can be seen in his mission.  This mission is perhaps most clearly stated by Gandalf to Pippin when he says, “It is scarcely wise when bringing the news of the death of his heir to a mighty lord to speak… of one who will, if he comes, claim the kingship” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 737).  Judging from this, there seems to be no doubt that Aragorn seeks to claim the kingship, but that he waits until the right time.  His return to the throne will herald in the return of the glory of the kingdom of Gondor, evident through the calling of the heralds to reclaim the lands of old.  This calls to mind that the Gospel records Christ’s words as “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15).  His restoration of the kingdom strikes fear into the heart of the Enemy, as evident from Sauron’s attempts to stop him after Aragorn reveals himself through the Palantir.  It is the might of Gondor and its allies that stands up to the might of the Dark Lord on the fields of Pelennor and then march forward to meet him at the Black Gate, though there seems to be little chance of victory.  It is Aragorn’s mission, as king, to remove the Dark Lord, as an imposter prince must be cast aside when the true king arrives.  In terms of the Christian Messiah, it is worth noting the fact that when Satan is referred to as “the prince of this world”, it is then said the time has come for him to “be cast out” (John 12:31).  And so, Aragorn, in addition to claiming his kingdom, must use his position as king to make war against the Dark Lord and be victorious before finally being recognized by all as king.  In doing this, he must face Sauron on his own terms in two certain ways.

          Sauron, much like the Satan of Christian scripture, is often seen as a master of the dead.  His primary servants are the nazgul, the ring-wraiths, the undead.  Through them, he commands lesser undead as seen in the barrow wrights.  In The Hobbit, he is known only as the Necromancer, a sorcerer specializing in the magic of death.  There is even the sense that the dead marshes, which Frodo, Sam, and Gollum must cross, lie under his control to keep those who would approach Mordor away.  Yet, even with all of these factors, Aragorn will rise up to challenge him also here.  On March 9^th, as Frodo enters the road to Hell, the Morgul-road, Aragorn stands at the Stone of Erech (1068) and calls forth the dead, promising them that he “will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace” (772).  This passage can be, and has been, seen in comparison to the harrowing of hell at the time of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection.  This is even more clearly drawn when considering the fact that all who heard Aragorn would take the paths of the Dead thought him finished.  It is with the army of the dead that Aragorn shakes some of Sauron’s power by defeating the Corsairs and taking their ships, relieving some of the struggle at the Battle of Pelennor Fields.  Finally after that victory, he goes to lead the forces of Gondor to the Black Gates, where they are unexpectedly, considering only the martial, victorious.  This calls to mind Christ’s words to Peter regarding the Church, the Kingdom, that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).  It is this prevailing that leads to the consideration of the spiritual mission of the messianic pair of Tolkien’s epic.

          Having devoted such attention to an investigation of whether messianic label, and specifically a Christian one can be applied to Aragorn, it becomes necessary to look at how this can apply to Frodo.  While Aragorn is drawn into parallel largely with the human nature of the Christian Messiah, Frodo has the greater task of being drawn up in comparison to the divine nature.  We can pity Frodo that as he has the much more daunting task.  While Aragorn is seen as the restorer of the Kingdom and cannot be doubted to have worked for that, Frodo can be seen as the ultimate reason for the restoration of that kingdom.  Without the success of his task, the kingdom of Gondor would have fallen to the military might of the enemy.  This can be drawn up in relation to the indication in the Christian Gospel that though the Messiah comes to establish a kingdom and does works that all can see, as Aragorn does in the Lord of the Rings, it is not an establishment of a kingdom in an expected way, but through a long journey in which beatings must be endured, his burden shared, a mount ascended, and physical sacrifice made.  All of these can be seen as well in the mission of Frodo.

          From the beginning, Frodo is a character to whom there is more than meets the eye.  He is a most humble character.  To this, we have Tolkien’s own witness that “Frodo undertook his quest out of love – to save the world he knew from disaster at his own expense, if he could: and also in complete humility” (Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 326).  Christianity has always seen Christ’s mission growing out of humility (Phillippians 2) and love (John 3:16).  This brings not only a similar starting point to the mission of both figures, but also in the way they are seen.  The Gospel passages try to make clear that Christ was of low estate, not esteemed by the powers of the world.  We see that Frodo is neither expected for great things, even in Elrond’s speech in council that “Who of all the Wise could have foreseen” that from the Shire will rise one that will “shake the towers and counsels of the Great” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 264).  In fact, this brings to mind on reading the words of Nathaniel when spoken to of Jesus in the Gospel, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).  These humble beginnings and notions, along with views of their persons, are the first parallel drawn between the Christian Messiah and Frodo.

          Though the four of the six books of Tolkien’s epic concern his mission, Frodo’s portion of the redemptive vocation of Middle-Earth is not fully seen until the reaching of Mordor.  Just as Christ, in the Christian myth, must tread into Hell, or more appropriately Hades – the grave rather than the Gehenna we usually think of with the word, to proclaim release unto the captives, so to Frodo must enter into the barren realm of hell of Middle-Earth: Mordor.  As Sam astutely says “That’s the one place in all the lands… we don’t want to see any closer; and that’s the one place we’re trying to get to” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 590).  It is there Frodo must go in order to bring about release, escape, to the free peoples of Middle-Earth.  Most of our time with Frodo and Sam is spent on the long and perilous journey to reach this place, made even more perilous by the figure who, necessarily for their mission guides them: Gollum.

          Perhaps surprisingly, any attempt to draw up Frodo as a messianic figure in the style of a Christian Messiah must include Gollum.  This necessity does not come simply because of the fact that Gollum is who allows them to reach their goal of entering Mordor to begin with.  Gollum will become, for Frodo, a Judas Iscariot figure, one who facilitates the making of the sacrifice that must be made, even though they do not realize the providential reason they do it when they do.  Though we are at times, and rightly so, encouraged to hope for Gollum’s redemption he is ultimately the one that “is lost… the son of perdition” (John 17:12), an appellation originally applied to Iscariot.  Gollum’s betrayal actually helps with the getting into Mordor as the Orcs take Frodo, and having done so ignore Sam.  This betrayal can be drawn into parallel with the betrayal by Judas into the hands of the authorities.  As the one was done for thirty pieces of silver, Gollum’s is done for a ring of gold.  Finally, when Frodo stands upon the cracks of Mount Doom, Gollum is again necessary to enable the sacrifice to be made, as was Judas.  Though Judas was necessary that “the scripture might be fulfilled”, Gollum is necessary that the Ring be tossed away, as no mortal could at that point toss it away.

          The betrayal by Gollum, which brings the loss of Frodo’s fingers, brings about an important comparison of Frodo to the Christian concept of Messiah: that of physical suffering and sacrifice.  Drawing from the hymn of the suffering servant, Christianity sees in its Messiah that he is “wounded… bruised… and by his stripes, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).  In its original context this hymn speaks of this suffering for the sake of the atonement of sin.  Though Frodo’s messianic mission is a redemption other than a direct atonement of sins, though in some ways it could be seen as such as he denies the Dark Lord power that has been given him in some ways by the sins of the past, so too he must be wounded, bruised, and suffer stripes.  We have his wound at Weathertop, his loss of a finger, but most dramatically presented that he was “naked… and across his side there ran an ugly whip-wheal” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 889) when Sam finds him in Cirith Ungol, where he was taken when handed to the “authorities” of Mordor.  This text is an image that brings to mind depictions of the scourging and crucifixion of Christ.  That Sam “half lifted his master and hugged him to his breast” (889) also brings to mind other Christian artwork: the Pieta.  Only by this can Frodo and Sam now enter into the realm of Mordor fully, the powers thinking Frodo dead, just as the Christian myth has Hades receive Christ, thinking him just a dead man.

          Finally, having crossed Mordor, his Via Crucis or Via Dolorosa, Frodo must climb Mount Doom, which is vaguely connotative of the Place of the Skull, as Golgotha is called in the Gospel.  It is here that his final sacrifice will take place.  Knowing this sacrifice is very likely to be his life, he climbs the mount prepared for the sacrifice to be just that.  Again, like a Judas, Gollum is necessary, to bite off Frodo’s finger in his greed and fall into the Cracks of Doom with the ring.  Though Frodo, like any mortal, fails in his ability to throw away the Ring at the last moment, the temptation to avoid the sacrifice is seen also in the Gospel, when Christ prays that the need for sacrifice be taken from him (Luke 22:42).  It is worth noting that the difference in that Christ accepts the sacrifice while Frodo must have it done for him in the end, but the question of reasons here ventures more into the theological realm than we wish to go in this and could admittedly be the subject of another paper.  In the end, however, it is again a physical sacrifice of Frodo, which he will always live with as Christ is always seen with his wounds after the Resurrection, that enables the power of the Dark Lord to fall and Middle-Earth to recover, escape, and be consoled.  It is this that causes the gates of Mordor, of Hell, to crumble against the force of Aragorn’s army and all the works of the Dark Lord to be tested and crumble.  Finally, at the last moment, the eagles come and spirit Frodo and Sam away from the slopes of Mount Doom and carry them from Mordor into the lands of the living in what can be seen as a type of Christ’s resurrection in the Christian Gospel.  With this are two important notes available.  First is that his return to the lands of the living is, as Faramir says, “beyond hope” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 678) as the apostles seemed to consider the resurrection beyond hope, in that after the passion, they “trusted” Christ “should have redeemed Israel” (Luke 25:21).  Second is the fact that this return takes place on March 25, the date the quartodecimians used for the dating of Easter.

          In the midst of all of this, we see a weaving of Christian redemptive tones, particularly in Messianic figures with a single Messianic mission, with the pagan tones of the surrounding Nordic and Celtic myth that makes up what Tolkien admits is a “fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconscious at first, but consciously in the revision” (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 172).  His admission that at first it was an unconscious effect, later produced by conscious choice, stands in similar manner to how his other influences seem to have come into play within his work.  Just as he was familiar with myth, so too was he “so steeped in the Scriptures, the Christian tradition, and the liturgy that these influences suffuse the work at almost every point” (Rutledge, The Battle for Middle-earth, 11).  His weaving of these two “meta-sources”, the pagan and the Christian are nothing new.  In those places where Christianity came to areas already rich with pre-Christian lore, one often finds, especially in the Middle Ages, a mixing of these two as Christian authors set down pre-Christian myths and wish to Christianize them.  This is seen true in Tolkien’s desire to present a Christian tale and yet to try to include a “’theory of courage’… its mainspring… despair, its spirit often heathen ferocity” (Shippey, The Road to Middle-Earth, 157).  Beyond just courage, he wants to present a picture that ennobles the pre-Christian societies that he already saw as glorious and at the same time keep the thread of Christianity running through his epic.

          This, ultimately, presents one of the wonderful things about Tolkien’s epic.  Rather than being black and white as some critics suggest, Tolkien is able to often take things that are often considered to be on those two opposite spectrums and lace them together into one whole.  Such is the case with his epic The Lord of the Rings.  Tolkien presents us with a realm whose cultures are undoubtedly pre-Christian, in the sense that Middle-Earth is our world of the ancient past, and yet the entirety of his work be filled with what seems and undoubtedly Christian-influenced concept of redemption among them, just as any of his tales can be said to be influenced by his sources.  He presents the reader with a dual-natured messiah, not joined in figure, but in mission.  The characters of Aragorn and Frodo are undoubtedly linked in their single mission of two natures just as Christianity holds the two natures of its Messiah indissolubly joined.  One can question his reasons for inclusion of such Christian themes in his work and come up with a variety of reasons, ranging from patristic views of the purpose of pre-Christian myth to the view of C.S. Lewis, which Tolkien knew of, regarding the simple spiritual benefit of the beauty of the Christian story, not from a religious perspective, but a literary one (Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 109).  Yet, in the end, the most this paper can say is that they are definitely there and it would be hard not to see the epic richer far it.

 

 

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