Psalm 119 – Nun: Gandalf, Mirkwood, and Me

The Hobbit was one of the books of my youth and, incidentally, of every other time of my life. Although it wasn’t until much later in my life that I began to really appreciate Tolkien, the author, as well as his creations. One, among many things I learned about him, was that as a believer, Tolkien saw each of his works as permeated with Christian truths but not written as an allegory. Now, when I read his books I find deeper truths of Christianity embedded in each portion of the story, sometimes intentionally and sometimes wholly as a natural off-shoot of Tolkien’s beliefs.

Once such instance is Gandalf’s words to Bilbo and the dwarves as they head into Mirkwood Forest while he travels south on some pressing business of his own. Tolkien, through Gandalf’s mouth, says:

“Good-bye!” said Gandalf to Thorin. “And good-by to you all, good-bye! Straight through the forest is your way now. Don’t stray off the track! – if you do, it is a thousand to one you will never find it again and never get out of Mirkwood; and then I don’t suppose I, or any one else, will ever see you again.”

Gandalf’s warning is a good word for us today, just as they were that day for the hobbits and dwarves he hoped to keep safe from the dark magic of Mirkwood. But, if you are familiar with the story, you will know they stayed on the path for quite some time until they grew tired and hungry at which point they left the path to follow what they imagined were torches lighting the table of a great feast. It was after they left the path when they became lost and eventually taken prisoner by spiders, after which they escaped, and then became prisoners of the wood elves, thus delaying their journey and placing its outcome into uncertainty.

As frustrated as I can become when I read that passage, I can’t cast any judgment on them because I know each of us has our limit as to how long we can journey down our own life’s path before falling prey to the same temptation. Some of us only last for ten minutes, while others might last for ten days, ten months, or even ten years before our strength fails and we leave the path searching for what seems to be a place of rest and refreshment. I think this temptation is exactly what the psalmist had in mind when he wrote Psalm 119:105-112.

The psalmist describes the law of God as both a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, which reminds me of the months I spent as a camp counselor in New Hampshire years ago. It was nearly every night after dark that we would have to head back to our cabins with no natural light to guide us. If we were prepared we had a flashlight and could point it at the ground directly in front of us so we could see the path and avoid any roots or ruts in our way. But when the light was pointed down, we couldn’t see where we were going ahead of us. We had to either remember the path well or, in the best of situations, have someone else shining a light in the distance. But without that second light and a poor memory, I recall more than a few times finding myself deep in the woods away from all semblances of civilization (if a camp for teenagers could be called civilization!) wondering how I had gotten there. I needed both: a lamp to light the terrain in front of me and a light to show me the path where I was going.

There are many times in my life when I grew weary on my path and found myself looking for feasts in the distance off the edge of the path. And there are other times when I walked without either the lamp or the light of God’s word, quickly finding myself in unfamiliar and dangerous terrain. Many of the times these were deliberate choices, but there were also a number of times where I was just plain tired and found myself looking for quick and easy respite from the difficult journey. If only I had heeded Gandalf’s words better.

I am finding now in this present darkness that the only true light able to keep us from stumbling and on the right path is the Word of God. But that is not all it does for us; it sustains us and gives us life. Bilbo and the dwarves left the path because the journey was long and they had become tired and hungry, something we do quite frequently as well. It is inevitable that at some point our own stamina will run low, possibly even out, and we find ourselves looking for a place to recharge. The psalmist tells us the Word of God brings us life, even though at times it does not seem that way. But this is where trust and faith come in. God plan for abundant and eternal life often leads us through these dark nights of the soul so that our faith increases and we learn to place more trust in him than we would normally do if life was ‘perfect.’

I have just today finished reading II Corinthians and I think Paul sums this up quite nicely, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”