‘Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear’

I had forgotten that,’ said Eomer. ‘It is hard to be sure of anything among so many marvels. The world is all grown strange. Elf and Dwarf in company walk in our daily fields; and folk speak with the Lady of the Wood and yet live; and the Sword comes back to war that was broken in the long ages ere the fathers of our fathers rode into the Mark! How shall a man judge what to do in such times?’ ‘As he ever has judged,’ said Aragorn. ‘Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man’s part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house.’

 The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings Part 2, J.R.R. Tolkien

I am listening to LOTR at the moment. I was listening to this passage today and it struck me, how it resonates strongly with how many of us have been feeling these past 17 months. How many times a day do you wonder in total astonishment as to how, “The world is all grown strange.” Unprecedented times, perhaps since the Holocaust for the Jewish people. It can lead to a sense of helplessness. Amidst a gaping lack of leadership we are left with the question, “How shall a man judge what to do in such times?”

Then Aragorn’s words provide that moral clarity, “Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men“. October 7th, is a flashpoint for us all, Christians (Elves), Jews (Dwarves) and all of humanity. All good people around the world must choose good over evil, “It is a man’s part to discern them“. This ability to choose good, is the fundamental act of man’s exercising his free will, it is what defines us as created in the image of God.

Anyone who considers themselves a good person, should now be able to see the difference between good and evil and make that choice starting today. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Atheists, if we can all unite around the good, we can start to make the world a better place. In order to do that, we must also recognize evil and reject it without hesitation. If you still find yourself defending Hamas or Palestinian terrorism, then sadly you are no better than the Orcs or the Goblins and we all know how LOTR ends.