Gandalf Did Not Move
Morning Has Begun. Merry Christmas!
Reading The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King to my son Levi last week, a passage made my voice crack and brought tears to my eyes. In one of the darkest moments of the whole saga, the gate of Minas Tirith is broken and the hordes of Mordor pour in, led by their terrible captain, the Lord of the Nazgûl. All flee except Gandalf, set for another Balrog-style showdown. The Black Rider mocks him:
“‘Old fool!’ he said. ‘Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!’ And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.
Gandalf did not move. And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the City, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
As if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin’s sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.”
“Gandalf did not move,” writes Tolkien. And in that very moment, light came. Even though the light was not yet visible, morning had begun. And with it, help arrived in the form of the riders of Rohan.
Did you know that in the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring, the newly-formed fellowship departs Rivendell on December 25th? Tolkien wanted to his more observant readers to see that Christmas is when the darkness began to be defeated. And how is it defeated? By a fellowship that will ultimately be broken, and yet will be receive divine help to complete its Quest. The Ring of Power is destroyed three months later, on Good Friday.
Men, you have a garden to keep, a kingdom to defend. The day may be dark. Evil may seem to be winning. Our Lord does not ask you to win. He only asks that, like Gandalf, you do not move. Stand where you are supposed to be standing. “The night is far gone. The day is at hand” (Romans 13:12). Believe it.
Merry Christmas brothers.
P.S. Registration is LIVE for our January 27th Light Night! Dust off that chili and cornbread recipe and register today.