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From Volume 10, Number 2, Fall 2003 Calling All Elves: Christopher Bygonaise OK, I’m not ashamed to admit it: I’m a geek, a nerd. In other words I’m a Tolkien fanatic. Much has been written in recent years thanks to Peter Jackson’s brilliant adaptation of The Lord of the Rings concerning the Christian message that is the essence of Tolkien’s works. Perhaps the success of both book and film speak to something deep within the average person, a longing for a “good” world in which people struggle against insurmountable odds toward a victory with little else in their arsenal than a fool’s faith. We read, we watch, and we come to believe that perhaps we ourselves could move mountains and win our own battles... if only we weren’t so tired and busy with life! The idea for this heartfelt, if somewhat meandering article came out of a memory of last New Year’s Eve. I have a ritual every year on this day when I sit with my journal and take inventory of the accomplishments of the previous year. What did I do with the time I was given? Was I like the man in the Parable who was given a coin and buried it in the ground for safe keeping (Mt 25:18), or did I bravely struggle to yield a profit? To my dismay, I noticed that I had become quite soft, comfortable and set in my ways. The early Christian Celts were well aware of the dangers of comfort and routine on the spiritual life, and they understood that “dying to self” was the only way to grow nearer to Christ. Martyrdom was very characteristic of this early church. Perhaps in following with their deep veneration for the Holy Trinity, however, the Celtic Christians divided martyrdom into three distinct categories: white martyrdom—forsaking one’s home for the sake of mission—exemplified by the likes of Columba, Patrick, Brendan and Columcille, among others; red martyrdom—giving up one’s life for the faith; and finally the most accessible-- but perhaps the most elusive type: green martyrdom, which is the daily struggle for goodness and purity, the shedding of bad habits and routines that separate us from God. We must wrestle daily with our baser nature. Just as in Tolkien’s world view, where the mixing of good and evil in a person is not an option, Saint James reminds us that a spring cannot bring forth both salty and sweet water (Jas 3:11). Every day involves myriad choices to be a better person than before. How many of us try to keep alive the Celtic idea of green martyrdom in our lives? Listening to the mass media on any given day would convince the average person that Christianity is a religion in decline, filled with scandal upon scandal, division, self-interest and chaos. There is such a need today for individuals to live the faith, not necessarily in some grand manner that attracts attention and honor, but in the quiet way of the simple monk, the original green martyr, who would daily follow the cycle of prayer, works and fasting that brings the light of God quietly into the world slowly and steadily. This alone is sufficient because, as we all know, the ultimate victories belong to God (1 Cor 15:57); we simply choose either to cooperate or become part of the problem. Green martyrdom can therefore be seen simply as a calling to shed all that is false and embrace the authentic self that God created us to be. What good work will go undone if we spend our lives poorly, chasing after this or that passion? Last New Year’s Eve was the turning point for me in this regard. I realized that our feelings can get us into some fine messes. I began to see that time and life are precious and that sometimes our “feelings” do not always have our best interest in mind. Waking up at 5:30 am to exercise, opening myself to my elderly family members who need help, giving my all to my students even when the challenges seem insurmountable, and counting my blessings when I would rather complain all require a struggle, a certain dying to self, a green martyrdom, that makes us live not by false feelings but authentically by solid Christian principles. We are children of God, and must act accordingly (Col 4:5). Someone once said that virtue is doing what is right even when no one is watching. It is the one who makes slow and steady progress, the humble good example, the silent warrior who becomes the light unto the world. Are there any green martyrs left today? Where are the Gandalfs, the Aragorns, and the Frodos in our world? Where are the leaders, the role models and the faithful risk takers who wield the double edged sword of faith and commitment to a goal? The Scriptures admonish us to remember that the while our spirit is willing to do what is right, our flesh is weak and fickle (Mt 26:41). We float from vision to vision, sticking with one only as long as it appeals to us and doesn’t cause us too much grief or inconvenience. We come to worship feelings over truth. Perhaps we must all take up the role of the green martyr to counteract this and be the examples we are supposed to be. In Tolkien’s world there are plenty of green martyrs, and also plenty who chose another darker, more selfish path. Ultimately we must ask ourselves the important question: Am I an Elf or an Orc?
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