Monthly column for youth leaders

As I write this article the media is in the middle of the huge build up to the film The Two Towers. I have been asked by one youth group locally to give a talk based on The Lord of the Rings.

I feel like Frodo, burdened by the ring, commenting to Gandalf, the wizard, that he wished this had never happened to him. But, says Gandalf, 'So do all who live to see such times'. I would love to do a talk on The Lord of the Rings, but my problem is that while there are truisms in The Lord of the Rings (friendship, leadership, good triumphing over evil etc.), many of which would be good messages for young people, Truth is only found in the Bible.

I could spend the talk trying to draw out parallels between the Bible and The Lord of the Rings. Then I fear I would be in danger of upsetting Tolkien, were he alive. He disapproved of those who searched his books for allegories. In the midst of all my deliberation the date for the talk creeps 'Gollum-like' ever closer. Apologies if you are not an aficionado of the story. You have the joy of looking for your talk illustrations in better places. Here is what I came up with.

The objective

This talk will be given at Christmas, so I want the young people to discover more about Jesus and why he became human. We will ask whether Jesus fits with our regular idea about what a hero should be doing. The talk is aimed at young people between ten and 13 years old. Some of the below is activity, some a precis of what I would say.

The power game

In groups the young people have to decide who has the power in The Lord of the Rings. Who is the most skilled fighter, who is the greatest wizard and who is the bravest leader? Then they have to decide who is the greatest hero? Is it Aragorn, the king in exile; Boromir, the great fighter; the sturdy dwarf, Gimli; or sharp-shooting elf, Legolas? Or is it the humble hobbit, Frodo, who wanders ever closer to the evil land of Mordor, seemingly without hope?

The Bible

What does the Bible say about this theme of leadership and power? We will read Philippians 2.5-11 with the verses printed up on an overhead projector. N.B. this is one occasion when using a paraphrased version, for example The Message, may be helpful. The separate phrases will also be displayed around the room on cards fixed to the wall. The group will then move around the room placing sticky dots (remember last month?) on all the phrases from the Bible reading that match their profile of a powerful leader or hero.

Once the group are sitting down again we should be able to divide the cards around the wall into two groups - some that fit the profile and some that do not. This gives us the opportunity to examine the passage together and find out what sort of leader Jesus was.

Suffering Servant

Jesus was equal with God, but didn't hold on to that. He was ready to be humbled, to be like a servant, to become human, to suffer and to die. He was obedient. Does that sound like the sort of hero we're looking for? No, but it is the sort of hero we need. He can identify with us, after all he was born as a human baby. But Jesus is miraculously still God. For the first time in history since Adam and Eve rejected God's way, God is rubbing shoulders with men and women. Amazing! Jesus's suffering and death continue to let that happen. It is because of that we can have a friendship with God. We definitely need this sort of hero.

Exalted King

Jesus is crowned highest king by God, his name is made great, everybody will bow before him and call him Lord. That's more the sort of leader we are looking for. But if we do not accept the 'suffering servant' sort of hero we will have difficulties with the 'exalted king'. God promises that everyone will call him Lord. Are you ready to do that? Christians recognise what Jesus has done and are ready to call him Lord of their lives now.

You take it from here

This is not the end, merely one way of using a contemporary illustration to kick off a Bible study or talk. Be creative. Use the different themes in 'The Lord of the Rings' to teach your young people solid biblical truths.

Be wary. Don't let the illustrations dictate the talk. Make sure they play a good supporting role, but let the Bible win the Oscar. Be outrageous. Have a themed evening. Put on fireworks and dress as hobbits. But do remember what you want your young people to go away thinking about.

Roger Fawcett

© Evangelicals Now - January 2003
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