Celtic Music, Lord of the Rings, and Paltry Excuses

I know, I know - why hasn't this chiqua updated really? Never fear - I've a big one planned. (You can probably guess What About, if you've been keeping up with the news. ;) But right before I run away to DJ's Romeo of Romeo and Juliet in a little less than an hour, I thought I'd throw up a few things here, as an hors d'ourve (or however you spell that - the only word in French I can never for the life of me remember).

Go over, quickly quickly hobbitses!, to Lord of the Rings and click on the link for the music to hear the closing song for Return of the King. Wow...nothing like the other songs. Keep listening through the final instrumental - beautiful. Can we say I'm so looking forward to that movie? We've been reverentially watching the DVD (rented, for the nonce, not bought - all the sheckles we don't have, you know), and I for one have been laughing at God's little nudges and bouts of inspiration that He snuck Himself into the movie. Tolkien, keep interceding for your work! Amen!

Which, of course brings me the extended (aka: real) edition of The Two Towers - faboo of course. There's one scene between Aragorn and Gandalf that was mainly repeated exposition that I could have done without, and I still feel that the camera work on this movie isn't as stunning as in Fellowship of the Ring, but the movie WORKS. And, yup, that scene with the ten guys on one side of the door and the ten thousand orcs on the other and then the White Rider coming - that's truth.

One of my students surprised me the other day when he asked why we should even bother trying to change legislation when there will always be extraordinary cases, when men will still always opt for sin, when in short "we cannot make men good by law." When it's more or less guaranteed that we're going to fail. But this is the thing I've been trying to get across to him, and to myself, and to the world at large: yes, we're going to fail in this world. But we have already won in the world that counts. Yes, we are fighting the "long defeat," yes, goodness will always be abused, yes men will always sin, yes suffering and bad and terrible things will always happen - but for that very reason, we must keep fighting. We are in a war, like it or not. ("Open war is upon you!") And although we have been promised the White Rider, although another carries "the burden of the whole world" for us, yet we cannot cease fighting. And for why? For the ungrateful, for the unknowing, for no reward visible in this world, for nothing that this world accounts as worthy - but "I account riches as dross" and "the Wisdom of God seems like folly to this world."

If we do not fight, even for the merest foothold, to keep back evil one minute more - who will? If we lay down our arms in defense of the innocents - who will take up arms on their behalf? If we complain that the battle is too difficult, shall we instead embrace death at the hand of the enemy - and more, therefore, offer up those whom we defend, our brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and children and those who have yet to be born, to our enemy because WE are too tired or too lukewarm or too careless? Who will fight for your life, if you will not fight for your own? Who will protect your freedom, your innocence, your goodness, if you lie down in the mud to be counted among the dead? What? Will you pretend you are no more than a corpse in the hopes of saving your paltry existence that cannot be accounted truly LIFE if you have given up all that is worth fighting for, in hopes - oh, vain hope! - for mercy from a merciless enemy? Will you wallow in the mud alongside those who died worthily, who were slaughtered after you lay down because you would not stand up for your fellow man, and think that this porcine existence LIFE? Will you crawl your way, oh Vischy "survivor" back to your father's camp and demand entrance? What can He say to you, but, "Nay, you chose death from which there is no resurrection. Those within My feasting halls, My safehaven are those who gave up their lives for Me - but you gave up your life for yourself and let My sons and daughters, your brothers and sisters, die to protect even you. You lay down and desired death; let Me not contravene your will."

No, we must fight, or we will die that death from which there is no return. And so you are not strong and cannot wield weapons well - then be a medic, and tend the wounded with the Balm of Gilead! And so you are frightened and know you will faint if you come too close to the enemy, then stay safe in the bosom of your Father's home and teach others of His ways. And so you are tired, well then take courage from His Heart. And those on the front lines, do not despair! For the battle is a glorious one, and the outcome already ensured by God Himself. And though you do not see the fruit of your labor, though those prisoners of war whom you seek to return over enemy lines and back into the savehavens protest, and kick and spit and run away time and time again - yet do not despair! For the prisoner in the corner, who seems quite lost and rocks back and forth muttering, and whom all account no better than dead, he is given hope each time you sally forth to coax him into the world of light. Do not despair! For you cannot see all ends, and you do not fight alone, although you cannot see the Church Triumphant or the Church Penitent surrounding you, yet they are there and do you more good than even you know. We are the Church Militant but bound, oh bound if we hold true!, for that light ourselves. Listen to your own sermons, take heed of your own counsel! Have hope, have faith - there is a world of light and joy, and this darkness which seems so pressing is but for a little time. Keep faith! Hope, hope, hope! "And all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."

Mood: Crushingly Triumphant
Music: Faire Celts - *siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh* :)
Thought: In the matters of the mundane, what is one to do about the closet-less situation and the clothes which currently have (again) no place to hang from? Is a puzzlement.