Initiation stories are a particular genre of story telling that involves journey, danger, the struggle to rise to meet the challenge, and the irreversible growth & change that comes about through the toil of overcoming the unique circumstances of the journey. Many times at the end of these types of stories those who've toiled through their journey return home to find that what they've experienced has changed them and the way they see the world forever. Those who've participated in the journey together share a common bond and a fraternal fellowship with each other while those who stayed home remain unchanged and their eyes remain blissfully closed.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most famous initiation stories of our time. Many people today only know Tolkein’s epic story through the movies that were made a decade ago. Despite the efforts by the filmmakers to tell the story in a way that was faithful to the books, one of the most important chapters in the trilogy never made it to the big screen.
Nestled quietly at the end of the book The Return of the King is a short but telling story of what happened to Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin upon their return to The Shire. If you've never read it, I won't spoil it for you. But, suffice it to say that the story of their return graphically shows just how much these four hobbits had changed as result of their journey and the suffering they experienced. When the Hobits initially embarked on their journey in book one, none of them had travelled beyond the boundary of The Shire. But once they crossed that boundary and pressed forward into the desperate journey and struggle against rising evil, it was clear they'd never be the same and Tolkein ends the Lord of the Rings by showing us just how much these four Hobits had truly changed and the price they paid for the journey they had embarked on.
Jesus calls Christians to deny themselves and take up their crosses and follow Him. This journey that Christ beckons us to is every bit as dangerous and harrowing as the journey the Hobits embarked on. It is dangerous business to live in repentant faith in Jesus Christ and to call sinners to repent of their sin in all of its ugly manifestations and to proclaim Jesus' shed blood on the cross for the forgiveness of sins as the only solution for humanity's rebellion against God. The suffering and the persecution that come with the Christian journey initiates Christians and changes them forever.
This theme, this truth and this reality is repeated in almost every chapter of the Bible as those whom God has revealed Himself to face suffering, persecution and death for calling sinful humanity to repent of their idolatries, adulteries, hatred and thieving and be forgiven and set free from their bondage to sin, death and the devil. Jesus warned us about it and the Apostles experienced it firsthand and encouraged us to persevere through it.
“But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.” (1 Thessalonians 2:2)
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh,arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” (1 Peter 4:1)
When the suffering and the persecution come, and they will come when you preach Christ Crucified for Sins, do not be tempted to think that something unusual has befallen you. Instead, understand that you've embarked on a journey and that Jesus has taken you from the comfort of The Shire and put you into the middle of a very real and dangerous set of circumstances, through the toil, and through the suffering, Jesus is pruning you, breaking you, and sanctifying you and nothing will ever be the same.
