Of Heroes and Legends, (There Can Be Only One) (poem)

[Note: Another poem from the archives and yes, this is another one I wanted to post because of my recent conversation with friends about science fiction and fantasy stories (and most anything really) being used to convey spiritual truth. I've heard it said before, "Everything is theology"- and I think it's true. And in the end, all of the heroic stories point us back to, as Tolkien called Him, "The One True Myth"- Jesus Christ, the Hero who gave His life to save His enemies and rose again to prove He's God. He is the One all of my writings hopefully point to all the time.]

This seems to be appropriate to follow the parody song about Narnia that I posted last. This a little poem I wrote just recently- this one just came to me one day and all of a sudden I had to hurry and write it down. This one was fun for me given my love of sci-fi and fantasy and superheroes and comic books and so forth, of course. :-) It talks about the heroes and legends of old- the ones in myths and stories of yore- and how through all these characters and adventures- we are ultimately drawn to the longing and desire inside all of us to be part of something bigger than ourselves- to join in the great adventure that God is ultimately calling us to- the one that He laid out for us before time and made possible through the death and Resurrection of Jesus. This is also definitely inspired from my love of Hebrews 11 – the hall of faith. I really love Hebrews 11:38 when it describes the faithful to God- “they were too good for this world.” Or in other translations- “the world was not worthy of them.” (I think of the great heroes of the faith in The Bible of course- and a few of my modern Christian heroes as well like St. Francis of Assisi, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Eric Liddle, Mother Teresa, Mister Rogers, Jim Elliot, C.T. Studd, Hudson Taylor, Martin Luther, Rachel Scott Joy, Cassie Bernall, Larry Norman, Keith Green and Rich Mullins- among others) And as J.R.R. Tolkien once explained to C.S. Lewis- though it sounds like one of the myths of the dying and rising gods of old- Jesus and Christianity is different in this regard- because it actually happened. Jesus is the one true myth!


Of Heroes and Legends,
 (There Can Be Only One)

(by Nathan Ludwick; copyright 3/9/2011)
(Psalms 44:4-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Philippians 3:8, Hebrews 11, Jeremiah 20:9, Hebrews 12:1-4, Ephesians 6:10-20, Proverbs 28:1, 1 John 5:4, John 16:33, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Acts 17:22-31, Matthew 13:34-35, 1 Corinthians 9:22)

Once upon a time, as all good stories start
A bright new world of hope, then things fall apart
As years of wreck and ruin rage, a line of heroes begins to raise
The stuff of myths and legends here to save the day

In the days of darkness and dangers
There are the adventurers, wanderers and strangers
The giants of old, the men of reknown
The ones that the songs and tales are written about

Powerful in battle, armored for the quest
The good fight to conquer kingdoms and restore justice
A strong faith gives a supernatural advantage
As brave as a lion, the righteous one stands

With every chance to turn back, they continue on
Struggling to save the good that’s left in the world
Where the smallest ones can be the boldest ones
A fire burning in the heart drives them on to greatness

An epic scale like Middle Earth, for Narnia and for Aslan
Though tortured, flogged, jeered and facing the sword
Destitute, persecuted and mistreated- they were too good for this unworthy world
This great cloud of witnesses calls us to endure and join them on the golden shore

And the Man on the moon is the One who made it and holds it in His hands
Santa Claus- ol’ Saint Nicholas shows us The Father’s kind and giving heart
And Superman is the picture of the God-Man who brings salvation for all
The One True Myth- Realer than Real, Truer than True is The Hero we need to believe

If we can trust the foolishness of God, the pilgrim’s progress leads us to the Grey Havens
Where we realize all the stories of lore really pointed us to Christ at the core
And then with Him, as all good stories end, we live happily ever after.

………………………………………………………………………………….

For Narnia and For Aslan (song)

[Note: Another entry from the archives here. I particularly wanted to post this parody song for some friends who enjoy science fiction and fantasy as well and I thought would appreciate this. :-)]

Here is a parody song I'd like to share that hopefully will be funny, encouraging, and maybe even edifying- and hopefully will ultimately point you to Jesus Christ and bring Him glory! :-) That’s what it’s all about.
       I did this first one here a while back right around when I first saw the last [thus far] movie in “The Chronicles of Narnia” series. True- there were some things that could have been closer to the book and I wish they were there. But “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” was an incredibly awesome movie and I am glad for the strong Christian messages that C.S. Lewis brought across so well in his books that are definitely evident in the movie. The main theme was dealing with the temptations that come in the Christian life and continuing to faithfully follow Christ throughout. And I loved the illustration of Eustace coming to salvation through Aslan ripping off his old self and having him discover his true self in Aslan. That was “painful- but a good sort of hurt, like taking a thorn out.” Okay- that wasn’t exactly verbatim- but I love that line. And Reepicheep was great! And I loved the song at the end- it was all so good. It just made me psyched to see the next book in the series come to the movies- which by the way, from what I’ve heard online, the plan is to do “The Magician’s Nephew” next! I still wish they would have done “The Silver Chair” first (which would have kept it in the published order)-but I’m not complaining. I’m just glad to see another Narnia movie coming! I’ve read and reread all the books and I love them! (I remember reading them as a kid and then rereading them a few years ago and they all pack such spiritual truth.) I love how C.S. Lewis helped kids fall in love with Aslan in his books, which was easy to do since he is clearly depicted as a Christ figure. Of course, Lewis says that Aslan is a supposal of what Christ would be like if He came as a lion in the world of Narnia just as He has come in actuality to ours. And we must learn to know Him by the name He’s known in our world- The Lord God and Savior – Jesus Christ! :-) So this song is rides along and races through all 7 books as my tribute to “The Chronicles of Narnia”. I can’t wait to go to the new Narnia and live with Aslan- The real Aslan- Lion of Judah- for all time!


For Narnia and For Aslan

(parody of “Bicycle Race” by Queen; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/22/2010)
(Matthew 13:34, Revelation 5:5, Revelation 21-22)

Narnia! Narnia! Narnia!
I want to fly to Narnia! Narnia! Narnia!
I want to ride to Narnia!
I want to meet The Lion!
I want to go to Narnia!
I’ve longed for Aslan all my life!

In the back- world of white
Apple bark wardrobe sight
Winter dark millennium
Jadis made herself queen
And it’s never Christmas
It’s foretold- girls and boys
Stone Table (and) Aslan dies
Like The Lord Jesus Christ
Witch didn’t know the deeper magic
Christ did rise as did Aslan
All has been made new in

Narnia! Narnia! Narnia!
I want to fly to Narnia! Narnia! Narnia!
I want to ride to Narnia!
I want to see The Lion!
I want to go to Narnia
I long for Aslan

Narnian wars- Telmarines enslave!
So 4 kids- it’s The Pevensies, oh yeah!
Fight back- I’m sure it’s Caspian (for the win) (Yay!)
Then look out for seven kings lost- yeah
On the Dawn Treader- Go!
Narnia- Hey! Narnia- Hey! Narnia- Hey!
Narnia! Narnia! Narnia! I want to go to Narnia!
Narnia! Narnia! Narnia! Narnia!
Narnia- Hey!

Yeah, Jill Pole and he came
Eustace Scrubb- witch is slain
Puddleglum helps save Prince Rilian
Shasta’s gonna meet Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy
Cor’s a child of The King
Digory and Polly- thieves
In comes Aslan like Jesus
All at the end if they come in the gate
Term is done- it’s holidays!
And all’s forever new in

Narnia! Narnia! Narnia!
I want to fly to Narnia! Narnia! Narnia!
I want to go to Narnia!
I’m going to see The Lion!
I’m going to live in Narnia!
I’ll live with Aslan for all time!

………………………………………………………

The Gospel Blimp and Other Modern Parables by Joseph Bayly (Book Review)

Here is something different for the new year. If you are looking for a book to read this year, here is an excellent one worth reading. Of course, if you want the best Book ever to read- read The Holy Bible before anything. :-) It's God's Book and it's the best Book ever because it gets better and better with every read- no matter how many times you read it! It's living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword (like Hebrews 4:12-13 talks about)- so it always cuts to the quick and cuts to the heart and cuts to the point- but it's a good kind of cut, like getting a thorn out, that leads to healing. :-)
      And if you read another book after that, then check out this one, which also can cut to the quick at times and get to the heart because it draws on Biblical points and points us back to Jesus and His standards. :-) It's an older book, but its message is still powerful and very relevant for today. It's actually a collection of short stories- modern parables, as the title declares. It's much in keeping with Jesus' style of teaching. (see Matthew 13:34-35) And it's really good. So then, here is my review of "The Gospel Blimp and Other Modern Parables" by Joseph Bayly.
(Note: I believe there are different variations out there that may or may not contain all the stories I have reviewed here. I am reviewing a 1983 compilation publication from LifeJourney Books from David C. Cook Publishing in Elgin, IL. ISBN: 0-7814-0935-7)
..........................................................................................................   

         Okay then- on to the stories. I don't know if you have the same version I do or not, but the book I have is a collection of modern parables by Joseph Bayly.
The first in the collection was "The Gospel Blimp", which I greatly enjoyed for its message- as I did all the stories in the book. I particularly loved the core message of the story that it was more important to show the love of Christ to people rather than just preach at them. Now I want to carefully note- it is vitally important to share The Truth of The Bible with people. But we must remember Ephesians 4:15 and "speak The Truth in Love". In recent years, I have slowly been learning that and trying to remember that even if I know all the right things and am trying to be obedient and share Christ and His Word with people, if I don't do it in love- I am but a sounding gong or cymbal. (as 1 Corinthians 13 speaks about.) And Jesus Himself said that all people will know we are His disciples by the love we have for one another. (John 13:35) So that story resonated with me.
        Next up in the book was a section called "Gooley and Friends", which contained two stories about Herb Gooley and then three others that seemed to be unrelated to Gooley, but also had some great points. As to the Gooley stories themselves, I will offer my interpretations, though I am not sure that I totally got everything right, of course. From what I can tell, the "I Saw Gooley Fly" story seems to be making an analogy between a living faith in Jesus and the ability to fly. Herb Gooley is evidently a Christian in a world of non-Christians and he is willing to admit to being a Christ-follower (and non-believers are interested in knowing how to have the peace in life he has with Jesus)- yet he doesn't seem to be willing to share this information with others. It's a sad commentary on the church today where, according to statistics, some 90% of Christians never or will never share their faith with others. (Which, of course, is in direct disobedience to Jesus' command in The Great Commission, in Matthew 28:18-20). That one definitely hits close to home. I struggled with this a lot when I was younger. Though I tried to be faithful in sharing Jesus to some degree, I always felt like I wasn't doing enough and God worked in me to make me bolder in sharing His Word and my faith in Jesus. I am thankful to Him for His answer to prayer.
However, I also feel now that perhaps for a while I went too far in one direction where I was boldly preaching God's Word at people- but not remembering to do it as lovingly as I should. So that is something that I feel God has been working on me in recent years as well. And of course, I'm still not perfect at either area, but I'm always seeking God's help in getting better each day. (as Philippians 1:6 promises.)
           For the "Ceiling Zero" story, this seems to be Gooley retreating to the "Christian world". (i.e. Secluded in church and surrounded with Christian friends- both very good things in themselves- but perhaps to the extent of shutting out the world- which is not good, as we must be reaching out to the world in order to be the salt and light that Christ called us to be.) But I feel that by the end of the story, Gooley realizes this point and is seeking to be out in the world and practically showing Jesus' love to people, whereas his classmates all still seem to be stuck in this safe little "Christian world" where they just go through the routines of going to church, reading The Bible and praying (out of duty and tradition), but not really experiencing the full joy of The Lord and sharing Jesus with others as they should.
           "Mayday" seemed to be reemphasizing this idea of Christians not wanting to venture from that safe "Christian world" again and moving on to reach out to the rest of the world. "Rehoboam's Gold Shields" seemed to be showing the way that fervor for The Lord tends to wane off as the cares of this world crowd out God from our lives, as well as talking about Rehoboam's shame of bearing the cross of Christ. I really liked some of the stories that talked about having the braveness to speak out for what's right that God clearly tells us in The Bible- even if the rest of the world doesn't agree. "Protest Until Pizza" seemed to directly address this, as did "The Saving Message".
       The last part of the book I have has a section called "Meek Souls and Phonies" and includes "The Saving Message" story, along with others. "How Silently, How Silently" was a great Christmas story that really got to the real meaning of Christmas- reconciliation with God through Jesus. (This story reminded me some of Jesus' own parable regarding the great banquet that people missed out on and thus, the messengers went to the highways and byways to compel people to come in instead- in Luke 14:12-24).
     As a technology fan (particularly older technology as well as newer technology), I really enjoyed the story called "Does Man Exist? (By ENIAC II)"- a great analogy emphasizing how it's only logical that the created beings must have a Creator- a great response to the evolution/Creation debates that go on.
"A Small Happening at Andover" seemed to be another story talking about the need to move beyond religious (Pharisaical) dogmatism [like Jesus talked about in Matthew 23] and really showing true love to others- and when Christ is lifted up, He draws all men to Himself. "Black Gold" was an interesting story about how Christians can get sucked in to con artists, even those claiming to do God's work, and serves as a good warning to be careful who we trust and to look to The Lord for guidance in how we use the money He allots us. "Still Small Roar" is an absolutely beautiful allegory based on John 1:1-14, speaking of how Jesus has forever changed our world by bringing us salvation through His death and Resurrection. "How Shall We Remember John?" offered an interesting look at mourning and perhaps it's meant as a reminder that for Christians, we mourn with hope because we know we will be reunited forever with Jesus in Heaven.
                Well, there you go- there's my rundown of the book. I also liked the author's afterword as he gave a great word about the power of parables and how they expose us and force us to really consider the point of the message with a good story. He also mentions a powerful experience in a village in Gruyon, Switzerland- looking out one summer morning at the eternal Alps. :-) The Swiss Alps inspired another famous Christian writer, Hannah Hurnard. (Whose "Hinds Feet on High Places" book is another great allegory too.) God must have just really blessed Switzerland with breathtaking beauty. (Both in its land and its people.) :-)
...................................................................................................