The Messiah Comes to Middle-Earth by Philip Ryken;

Author:Philip Ryken;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
Published: 2017-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

As faithful friends, Frodo, Sam, and the other hobbits are models of Christian virtue and exemplars of the priesthood of all believers. They nobly bear one another’s burdens, even unto death, and accomplish far more for the kingdom together than they ever could alone.

We too have a priestly calling to the world.153 Like Christ, we are called to serve and to sacrifice, through a ministry of presence and through prayer. In every leadership situation, there is and ought to be a priestly dimension to our care for others. Thus The Lord of the Rings has what Tolkien called “applicability” for everyone. What burden has God called us to carry? Who needs our faithful presence as they walk down a difficult road? And where do we need to exercise greater dependence on other Christians to accomplish the kingdom commitments that we have made to Jesus Christ?

Part of my duty as the president of a Christ-centered college is to practice a ministry of presence. Indeed, few aspects of a college presidency are more important, or more rewarding. There is always something for a president to do on a college campus: host dinners, go to plays and concerts, attend athletic competitions, visit classes and lectures, drop by dormitory events and house parties, show up at retirement receptions, and so on. People expect to see the president, and rightly so. The simple presence of the primary leader pronounces the blessing of the entire campus on any activity.

The priestly office is also a ministry of care and concern. Recall that the high priesthood of Jesus is characterized by compassion; he is not unsympathetic to our problems but knows exactly what we need because he has been in our situation before (see Heb 4:15; 5:7). Remember as well that in his earthly ministry Jesus constantly was drawn to people in need—the needier, the better. Thus college presidents fulfill their priestly calling when they promote student welfare, set a high standard for community care, and bear a personal burden for people who need practical or spiritual help. Welcoming international students, providing access for students from underprivileged communities, reserving financial aid for families with high need, caring for students with disabilities, pursuing racial reconciliation, ensuring student access to physical and mental health care, giving comfort in times of personal or institutional tragedy—these presidential priorities reflect the empathy of Jesus Christ. When college presidents advocate effectively for the needs of faculty, staff, and students, they fulfill Christ’s priestly office on campus.

People often say “it’s lonely at the top,” and sometimes it is. However, it doesn’t have to be, and in the common priesthood of the Christian church it really shouldn’t be. The assumptions that hobbits make about friendship and companionship challenge our tendency to self-sufficiency. If God has given us anything important to accomplish, we should not expect to have all the abilities to complete our assignment or to get it done all by ourselves without the encouragement of others. This is true for every one of us, in every calling.

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