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Quote:
“To Doriath Túrin could not, or in pride would not, return; to Nargothrond since the fall of Felagund none were admitted. To the lesser folk of Haleth in Brethil he did not deign to go; and to Dor-lómin he did not dare, for it was closely beset, and one man alone could not hope at that time, as he thought to come through the passes of the Mountains of Shadow. Therefore Túrin abode with the outlaws, since the company of any men made hardship of the wild more easy to endure; and because he wished to live and could not be ever at strife with them, he did little to restrain their evil deeds. Thus he soon became hardened to a mean and often cruel life, and yet at times pity and disgust would awaken in him, and then he was perilous in his anger. In this evil and dangerous way Túrin lived to that year’s end and through the need and hunger of winter, until stirring came and then a fair spring.”
--J.R.R. Tolkien, The Children of Húrin
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This particular passage stands in stark contrast to modern culture, and in condemnation of modern society. Here is the danger of a pluralism so complacent that it will not suffer evil to be repudiated; of a culture whose highest value is tolerance, but to the extreme level of tolerating all save those who suggest that there are some things which ought not be treated with unfettered tolerance. It is a warning especially to Christians in general and Tolkien’s fellow Catholics in particular. We are called to be “light of the world,” and “salt of the earth” (see
Matthew 5:13-14, 16), tasks which imply dispelling darkness and enhancing the flavor (that is, the goodness) of our fellow men. Light cannot suffer darkness to linger; indeed if darkness grows then it is by the failing of the light.
The Christianity of the twenty first century--at least in the West--is one which adheres strictly to Christ’s words as recorded by St Luke:
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"Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned….Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but not perceive the beam in your own.? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye. You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your own eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye’ " ( Luke 7:37, 41-42).
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Saint Matthew recorded a similar account of this admonishment (
Matthew 7:1-5). Too often, Christians hide their acquiescence to the evils of society behind these words--pulling them from context to do so--and shun their responsibilities to be prophets when called upon. For prophecy is not so much about foretelling the future--it is not mere fortune telling--but about calling attention to the moral wrongs of society, and working to fix those wrongs. Both Saints Matthew and Luke begin by saying that we ought not judge, which St Luke clarifies when saying that we should not condemn lest we be condemned. But in context, these both mean not to judge people, or to condemn people.
Indeed, the prophet Ezechiel seems to stand in
stark contrast to Christ’s warning against judging, until this difference is recognized:
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"You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. If I tell the wicked man that he shall surely die, and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked man from his way, he (the wicked man) shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked man, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt, but you shall save yourself" ( Ezekiel 33:7-9).
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Christ was not so much overturning these words as interpreting them for His disciples, and condemning the abuse of these words made by the Pharisees, who very often were truly hypocrites. Thus, it may not be for us to judge, but it is still for us to warn against wickedness and to condemn it and its practice.
In Tolkien’s novel, the character Túrin fails to correct or really even to oppose the evil actions of the outlaw band which he joins, and so is made to become more evil himself. Indeed, though it is often against his own will, the character Túrin is very often made to serve evil himself, inflicting much suffering on those whom he loves. We face the same problems today, in our accommodation (and at times support) of such evils as abortion, torture, pornography--the very culture of death--to say nothing of the many more sins in everyday life. If our own failings are not as drastic as those of Tolkien’s character, the consequences may be no less dire, for every sin is a means of turning away from God, Who alone is the ultimate source of eternal life and joy.
Imported with permission from my
Equus nom Veritas blog
Tags: Quotes Words-of-Wisdom Religious-Refle Ction Exegesis Religion
