Lord of the Rings meets Apostle Paul

I've been so busy and stressed recently that I've been unable to absorb, let alone sit down and blog, new insights. But as I finally picked up reading, and laid aside my stress, I was confronted with a new book, and a new cool image!

In The Teaching Ministry of Congregations Rochard Osmer describes Paul's thoughts as parallel, yet linked, story lines. He uses the story The Lord of the Rings to describe this. The major battle is going on with Gandolf and humans and elves, and yet it is the other seemingly humble and simple storyline of Frodo and the ring that ultimately leads to the downfall of the Saurumon. Similarly, for Paul the life, death, resurection, and second coming of Jesus is what ultimately will save the day, and yet all Christians are part of this other storyline that is also important.

What made me go AHA! was the memory of a certain scene in the Lord of the Rings, well actually two. The first was when Gandolf and Aragorn are talking in the third movie "The Return of the King." They have no word from Frodo, but their hearts tell them that Frodo is still alive.
The other scene is the decision to draw out the armies of Mordor. To give Frodo the advantage he needs, they risk everything to do the unthinkable.

Like Gandolf with Frodo, we cannot now see clearly the working of Jesus. We sometimes doubt how He can still be working in this broken world 2000 years after his life. But it is through hope and faith that we continue. But our faith means risks. The Fellowship could have waited, but their faith in Frodo's journey caused them to do the unthinkable. Like Noah who spent 40 years doing the unthinkable, building an ark, sometimes our faith requires us to do the unthinkable. We must act out our faith to be part of the storyline that brings victory.