I have always thought it would be fun to be a writer, which I always thought was ironic since I am not naturally gifted in languages and writing has never been my strongest subject. It is like asking a writer to solve a trigonometry problem. Few, if any, would even be able to do it, but I am an engineer, who enjoys writing. However, I would tell tales of heroes slaying giants and of beautiful women be captivated by a young men. I would write of great depression being overcome by a brilliant light. I would have these idealistic characters with an ending that concludes with "happily ever after."
However the in the middle of the story there would be a depression that seems unsurmountable. The hero would have his back up against the wall. The beauty would be faced with a difficult choice. The bad guy would have all the guns and the power, leaving the lone hero abandoned and hopeless. There are several movies that come to mind. In the end of the Lord of the Rings, Sam is stuck in Mordor with Frodo, who can barely walk. The armies of men have been practically crushed and are cower in Minas Tirith. All seems hopeless and lost. Then suddenly Argon readies himself for battle and leads and out-numbered side to the battle field. Suddenly a glimmer of hope shines through the dark clouds, and well we know how the story ends. I love the Star Wars series, probably because I grew up with these movies. I was a Jedi with my old wholly brown blanket wrapped around me. However, I have cannot watch the third movie without watching "A New Hope," which was the first movie made. The third movie ends with Anakin Skywalker choosing evil, the death of his new bride, Padme, and it appears the Emperor has won, but we know how that story ends as well.
While the dark times may come, and little light shines through the dark clouds... While storms may surround the hero and waves crash over the bow of his boat... While he may be out-numbered on the battle field, or have seen a recent defeat... While he may look out over a barren wasteland, and feel that he cannot cross it... While temptation has struck and he longs to walk away from the cause... While these dark times exist in every story, we know the end. We know who wins in the end.
Maybe that is one of the requirements of a good story. A story that captivates us, must have a time, in which the hero is lost beyond hope, but somehow finds a way. Great story...
Alright lets now turn to our lives in the real world. We are human. Human means to have a depravity inside us, which begins with a thought, a whisper and grows until it consumes us the point of death. This darkness we cannot overcome, because we are inevitably weak. So here we are in the middle of our story as the we begin to open our eyes and realize the fight that surrounds us is absolutely pointless, and there is NO HOPE! We can't do anything. Our girlfriend leaves. Our marriage fails. Our family members die. Our house burns down. We lose our job. We lose everything in the stock market. We end up addicted to drugs, sex, and alcohol. We fall into depression. We feel empty. We are looking for something to save us, but we rely upon our own strength; only to fall deeper, farther into the overwhelming darkness.
Unexpectedly a strange Man enters our story. No one understands where He came from or where He is going, but He speaks truth. This Man is the promised Man, the Man who will finally save us from the darkness, but the Man dies. The hero who was the only one who could save us died, leaving us to die a similar death. However, the Man had a different plan. He was going to break the chains of death; while He would not conquer the Earth, He would conquer death, which brought freedom. However we have to give up our lives.
Our story is a little different the many of the movies we watch. It is not Argon's courage and strength that can save us. Nor is it Luke who will bring us Hope. What can man do on his own? ---DIE? I am realizing that in the darkest moments of life, when I find myself alone, falling, screaming and clawing at the dark walls of my cage will not help me. I cannot will the battle on my own, but it is through Christ alone I find victory. I may suffer, I may fall, I may lose, but in the end I know who wins...
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