There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil.

Esther 4:14 ...and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?

 

 

 

One of my favorite scenes in the LOTR trilogy is in the caves of Moria where the following conversation takes place between Gandalf and Frodo Baggins:

Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. 

Parents in Minnesota complain to the school district that singing Christmas carols is a form of bullying. Little children and teachers are gunned down by a crazed mad man, the headlines tell the story of our age and our time. We did not choose to be born in this age, it was chosen for us, we make a grave mistake in life if we fuss about those things we have no control over. Each generation has had its own challenges, but one constant remains: will you blend in, or stand out? In what way will you work to shape the world around you? That truth is pressed upon Frodo with the words: "All we have to decide is what do with the time that is given us." 

Many people view their role as nothing more than that of commentators, as if talking about the way things are somehow improves them. We live in an age where too many have become comfortable being armchair critics.  Somehow we must rise above that and become like Esther and realize we have a responsibility to take action, however small or great that may be. One young boy was found on a beach where thousands of starfish had washed up, he was throwing them back in one at a time. A passerby noticing how many there were washed up, and the seeming futility of what the boy was doing, asked him, "do you think you are making a difference? He picked one up and before throwing it back into the sea said, "it makes a difference to this one." 

This is our time, this is our generation, may God so help us to let our light shine that it makes a difference, we may not be personally able to change the world, but we can start a ripple that will resonate across time. We may not be able to save the world, but what we do does make a difference. Keep your fire burning.