Posts from around 2007 that don't embarrass me. #1

Something that has made me cry, in an effort to understand why

I am still not an emotional kid.  I am not a sissy.  I am set against the world, and daily refined to meet it head on.  I do not cry for stupid reasons, and it is not often.  So here is something that has made me cry, perhaps in some effort to learn something, or at least to be self-reflective. 

1.  Lord of the Rings - when the people of (the R word nation, the horse guys) are on their way to Helms Deep, they are attacked (by worg riders).  The blond girl with the crazy eyes says "stay together" while leading the people. 

For some reason, out of the blue, her simple statement "stay together" gets me right in the heartstrings. 

Why? - I think lately I have been dwelling on despair.  I have thought of depravity, of murder, of godlessness.  Everything I call abominable.  I have felt surrounded by darkness.  The shows I watched, the movies I watched, the music I listened to, the games I played, the news, the words of educated and common men with no fear of God- they are all burdening me so much.  They did not bother me before, but now they scream at me.  The suffering, the darkness, the hopelessness...  It feels like it is surrounding me.  I do not feel alone, I do not lack hope myself.  It is my brothers and sisters I am so anxious for. 

I fear that my brothers and sisters have fallen for a quick three step program to becoming a Christian, and now, being weak and ill prepared are attacked on many sides.  They get, at best, an hour of inspirational talk every Sunday.  They do not take sin seriously.  They are shocked when the world hates them, not knowing it hated Christ first.  The loud and confident words of godless men, unrelenting, cause doubt.  My brothers do not know the power of God, and their strength is so weak.  They turn away, and to what?  Weakness causes them to seek an escape from adversity. 

I am burdened, and I throw myself in with them.  If they would die, "than I will die as one of them."  These are mine too, as I am theirs.  Be they Baptist or Lutheran or Christian or otherwise.  If they would serve Christ, even if in weakness they may not know how, I would be theirs, for I am weak too.  I've felt like we are surrounded. 

Somehow this was on my mind as I watched this classic movie.  The hopelessness in this movie when all continually seems lost is something I resonated with.  Of course, so is the call for hope.  Somehow, by some artistic providence, this little scene matched perfectly the thoughts I am burdened with.  The people, poor and weak, previously manipulated, are going to some stronghold.  In their weakest they are attacked.  The strong ride out to meet the enemy(and my heart beats quickly) and she shouts, as I have heard in my own time in my own context "stay together." 

This is my own plea.