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Aug 02, 2015

Sunday's Message: Lord of the Rings

Sunday's Message: Lord of the Rings

Passage: John 4:10-15

Speaker: Rev. Vivian McCarthy, Pastor

Series: Faith at the Movies

Category: Faith

Keywords: faith, lord of the rings

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a film filled with symbols of faith. Just as Jesus used images and symbols as reminders for his followers, Christians through the ages have used symbol for many purposes throughout the history of Christianity. From the sign of the fish to point the way to Christian fellowship groups in the early church, to the cross, water, doves, loaves of bread and chalices, faith has rich symbolism that is intended to help us fix our hearts and minds on our faith as we go about our daily lives.

Faith At the Movies 5: The Lord of the Rings

A highlight of Christian faith through the centuries is symbol.  Symbols are visual images that convey deep meaning and point to the holy.  The symbol is much more than the particular picture or object itself, often connecting deep within the viewer in ways that words cannot.

Take a wedding ring, for instance:  These rings are the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to us the union between Christ and his church….I give you this ring as a sign of my vow. 

Churches are filled with symbols.  While I have heard people talk about “decorations” in a church, symbol is an entirely different matter.  Symbol carries deep meaning – it doesn’t just look pretty.  Of course, symbol can be completely lost on those who have never been introduced to what meaning symbols carry, but when we are paying attention, symbol can bring us closer to God.

I once heard a story of a man who was imprisoned and watching the gallows being built for his execution.  Desiring to feel closer to God, he ascribed meaning to the meager furnishings of his cell:  the heater, the basin of water for bathing – everyday things that conveyed something of God to him as he looked at them because he had taken the trouble to seek meaning related to God.  He wanted reminders – serious reminders – of God’s love and presence.

As I watched The Fellowship of the Ring, I became aware of a number of different symbols that carry deep meaning in that movie, and we are going to explore just 3 visual symbols plus another aural symbol.

The first symbol I noticed was water.  Watch this clip and consider what the water is symbolizing.  What is it doing?  What is its purpose? 

Clip #1 – 48:00 (cue:  Hobbits running from horse and rider) to 49:00 (cue: Hobbits on raft, rider left on shore)

What do you think?  What does the symbol of water point to in this clip?  What is its purpose?

Let’s look at a second clip with this symbol.  Arwen is desperately trying to outrun the pursuers and get Frodo to her father to save him from a critical injury.  As they come to a river, watch what happens.

Clip #2 – 1:11:00 (cue: riders chasing Arwen and Frodo who is injured and sick) to 1:12:48 (cue: horsemen are swallowed by deluge; Arwen looking into camera)

Remind you of anything?

The waters of baptism:  source of life, cleansing, saving. 

The second symbol we will explore a bit is the mysterious forest or wilderness. Russell Dalton wrote:

In myths and fairy tales, forests are places that are full of unknown dangers and supernatural forces.  Although heroes would rather avoid the mysterious dark forest, their paths often take them straight through the heart of it.  Many scholars see these forests as symbols, representing the dark recesses of our unconscious mind and the mysterious aspects of the world in which we live.  When heroes enter the dark forest, they are courageously facing the unknown.  By successfully completing this part of their journey and emerging on the other side of the forest, they grow confident in their ability to face the unknown in the future…It is human nature to fear the mysterious forests of our lives.  Facing uncertainty can be especially difficult for those who expect their religion to provide certainty about every aspect of life….The Christian faith teaches us that we live in mystery, and that we must come to accept that we do not know the future. 

 In this clip the Fellowship is entering a mysterious wood.  Frodo hears voices.  Even the dwarf, proud of his skill with an axe and his bold courage, shows his fear. 

Clip #3 – 2:11:22 (cue:  Fellowship running across a meadow toward woods) to 2:13:00 (cue: “You cannot go back.”)

The final visual symbol is a butterfly.  What do you know about this faith symbol?

In this next clip, Gandalf, the great wizard has been imprisoned in a tall tower without walls.  In this scene, Gandalf looks terrible as a result of his captivity and then catches a “butterfly.”

Clip #4 – 1:05:19 (cue:  “butterfly” is moving from chasm to tower) to 1:05:58 (cue: Gandalf releases butterfly)

What do you see in Gandalf’s face as the butterfly is released?

In this last clip, Gandalf is actually recalling his last confrontation with Sauroman.  Watch what happens.

Clip #5 – 1:14:29 (cue:  Gandalf to Frodo, “I was delayed”) to 1:15:25 (cue: Sauroman says, “So, you have chosen death.”)

Lastly, I just want to point out a musical symbol that can be heard in a number of scenes in this film.  A frequent musical theme has a phrase that includes the first line of the hymn This Is My Father’s World.  It often comes up when there is a stunning moment of beauty – sometimes in a relationship or other times just the sheer physical beauty of the scenery.

Clip #6 – 1:16:08 (cue:  beautiful scene – water, chasm) to 1:16:56 (cue: Frodo hugs Bilbo)

What theme do you think that musical line symbolizes?