Epic and Intimate

"When you look at the world What is it that you see? People find all kinds of things That bring them to their knees I see an expression So clear and so true That changes the atmosphere When you walk into the room"

U2--When I Look at the World

I see a different world than most do. I'm not sure why that is. For example, I don't see the silver lining in clouds, and least not any more. There's always tarnish on the silver lining, so I've looked beyond them. The clouds I see the are the snow-clad untread summits of undiscovered mountains that dwarf Olympus Mons, and are waiting for me to conquer them. Or perhaps they hide new worlds full of wonder and treasure.

Francis Schaeffer once wrote,

"...I look at the world because I understand that reality does not exist only between birth and death. A personal God acting in history that goes on forever. Not only does God care for His people throughout all time, He can also express His love for them no matter where they are located."

I've written before that I am inspired by the drama of human conflict. Everything from the

great battles of history, to mixed martial arts, when I watch a battle, my attention is riveted to

the struggle. Part of me wants to be in the trenches, or in the cage. I believe we're wired to want

to be involved in an epic adventure, where masses of men clash against each other to determine

the fate of the world. I've always wanted to write a story about armies marching against each other

with the fate of mankind hanging in the balance, and still take time to tuck in the intimate moments

between two characters.

Such stories have been told before, and will be told again.

Such as My favorite game, Chrono Trigger. Here a group of displaced heroes transcend time and

space to deliver the world from a horrible, firey, destruction. I remember how excited I was when

I fought the Battle of Zenan Bridge against the army of the Demon King to give the legendary hero

a chance to reforge the Masamune and storm the Demon King's castle. And there are other sweeping

battles as well against such monstrous foes as a Tyrano, the Dragon Tank, a gang of robots, and others.

Yet the scene I always love to play through over and over, is the most tender, intimate moment in the game.

(Here there be a spoiler)

My favorite book, not called the Bible is Toliken's Silmarillion, the back story of the

Lord of the Rings, in particular the tale of Beren and Luthien. He is a rogue mortal human

from a fallen kingdom. She is an immortal elven princess, described as the most beautiful

of Illuvatar's creations. In order for them to be together, they challenge an impossible quest

that armies and heroes have tried for ages to do and have been crushed.

They are challenged to go into Morgoth's (who is more or less the satan of MiddleEarth) keep and cut a

jewel off of his crown. Beren knows he's doomed, and does not want Luthien to suffer his fate.

Luthien loves him so deeply, she forsakes her immortal destiny to share his doom with him.

Their struggle effects the entirety of MiddleEarth for the rest of the age and the ages to come. I suppose the reason why I'm constantly captivated and why I’ve always wanted to write a story that is both epic and intimate, is because I believe epic and intimate reflect God’s love and character.

In Creation, God revealed his power by the sheer epic scope of it all. I used to love to lose myself in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Or the endless depths of space. I am addicted to the Astronomy Picture of the Day site, and love to spend hours on end rabbit trailing through the pictures of star clusters, nebulae, aurora, galaxies. supergiant clusters, and so much more that make me stop and pause.

If I were God, I'd be watching supernovae explode all day.

Even in the grand scope of creation, God's character was revealed when He created man

in His Image, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and walked in the cool of

the day in the garden with him. Even more so when He fashioned woman from out of man.

This makes me all the more glad God is who He is, and I am who He has made me. How humbling is it that the God of the universe cares that much for me? The God who wrote history of the world, and has His hand upon every event is writing my personal history and has His hand upon me? The same God who raised the mountains, filled the oceans and fuels the stars walks beside me, not just now in this time, but to the very end of time and beyond.

The most epic battle I could write, or intimate moment does not compare to the stars and mountains.

Just a couple of months ago I drove back into town and saw the burning moon hung like a jewel in the night’s cloudy cloak that stood over the snow-dressed hills and thought, ‘How incredible.’ I’ve also come to appreciate and even long for the quiet moments between friends when the only thing that matters is the presence of what so dear, the intimacy. It’s made me realize how the love of God is both supremely epic and intimate. How God who created the universe and all it’s wonder, longs for those quiet moments with me, is nothing short of humbling. The battle fought for our lives and souls was nothing short of epic, and He fought it so we could have those quiet moments with us.

How can I not be enthralled? How can I not be moved? Even the most stirring epic with the tender moments folded in I could write is nothing but drabble compared to the beauty of the cross. There the epic power of God and the intimate love for His creation come together to paint the most vivid portrait and eloquent tale of love and grace imaginable

Dr. Schaeffer continues, “As a person looks back to God’s actions in history, and makes this his own personal environment, then have a positive reaction in this existential moment as God’s child, he can raise his and personal confidence, this is the walk of the Christian. Why does the boy out hiking with his father reach out his hand when they come to a slippery place? He does it because in the past his father faithfully taken his hand as they have walked over the slippery trails together. This portrays the Christian walk with God and the portrait is beautiful.”

“ I raise my hand to my Father in personal relationship and then walk with Him hand in hand.”