Senor de los Anillos

I can't help it. In fact, I blame the Ammermans for my new found (always missing?) love for Lord of the Rings. While I'm still thinking about actually reading the novels, I do find myself thoroughly enjoying the films. That said, we finished, in Spanish, the first film today. The catch is that we don't um.. have a copy of the other two. Well, we don't have any more movies in this house at all, as we don't have a television any way (which is a-okay by me!). It's sort of a bummer, but nonetheless, it was great to spread out the first film into two nights (this Friday and last) because it gives me an excuse to continue my blog post special often referred to as Lessons in Cinema! [Trumpet call]

I'm fairly certain every person's favorite character in the LOTR series is Gandalf (for those who aren't focused on looks. We know that Legalos wins every time.). And how could you not love him? The "None shall pass" moment; the fun fireworks he brings into the Shire; the riding on a white horse to save the day (though not in that order).

It was a certain instance I want to draw your attention to: the moment in the Mines of Moria where Gandalf is thinking about which direction to go. Frodo sees the first glimpse of Gollum and gets nervous. Frodo has a pretty good sense, at least in the beginning, of when things aren't right. Yet Gandalf talks to him about how it's not our place to decide whether or not one can live.

"Many that live deserve death. Many that die deserve death. Can you give it to them?" he says. "Do not be too eager to deal out death or judgment."

Phew. What a concept. Even if you watch till the end you know that on one hand it's good for Gollum to be spared, to help the lads get to the fires of Mordor. On the other hand, he causes so many problems, and the poor creature loses his life after all is said and done.

We remember the hopeful moments with Smeagol. How he did come to a point of wanting true life again.

I think of how frustrating dealing with someone so fickle can be. I think first of all of myself, un pecador, vacillating back and forth with so many various issues in my heart and mind. But with myself I'm also more optimistic (I think it's because I'm bias and I know that God is pretty merciful). It's the others that I'm worried about, and that's where Gandalf's words penetrate my corazon.

"Do not be too eager to deal out death or judgment."

No one in particular comes to mind right now, but it does make me want to be more careful. Other Biblical principles enter my mind--those that describe God as slow to anger and abounding in love, or how 1 Peter says it plainly, that the Lord is not slow as we think of slow. The whole day = a thousand years concept.

If God can be merciful with me, he must be "pretty merciful" with the rest as well. Could it even be why certain not-so-great people in this world lived so long, because God was giving them another chance? Was that other chance including you and I to go out and do something about the situation?

What type of people would be included in our circle if this principle of holding back death and judgment were true for our lives? Just sayin.

Chau.