– Théoden, Lord of the Mark and King of Rohan
…and so it ends. One beacon is no longer lit. I had started planning for a different post this Mournday, but I changed course when I saw the unfortunate news yesterday that Bernard Hill passed on from this life. I stand by this decision to be flexible with these posts because I believe that we should roll with the punches, regardless of if they are thrown by orcs or goblins, icebergs or humans. Realizing I had a chance to talk about LOTR2 in any way, shape, or form excited me. I will happily choose to take these nerdy opportunities when I can. Tolkien is one of the greatest world builders to have walked this planet. I am ever grateful for how he changed us with his creations. I think he would be proud of what Peter Jackson accomplished, and I imagine Bernard had lots of fun playing King Théoden, leader of the Riders of Rohan. This group stayed on the sideline for far too long. They changed their mind, though, and chose to be active at the right time. Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor who lived on courageously for about seventy more years. He studied religions. He jested at the Ten Commandments as impractical.
The greatest commandment to me in the Bible is not the Ten Commandments… my commandment is thou shall not stand idly by.
-Elie Wiesel
Sitting or standing idly by while many injustices unfold in this world is probably one of the worst apathetic actions that we as humans can take during our time here on Earth. Again, I am not sugjesting violent recourse. That is where fantasy may always appear more appealing and flashier from the outside looking in. Instead, learn to speak your mind. Learn to voice concerns for those who may struggle to do so themselves. It is not ideal if we simply ignore suffering around us. We should not turn away from it. Is it uncomfortable? Of course! What if we can help, though? What if someone lights a beacon and calls to us for aid? It is easy to stay in our “castles”, safely secured within our own walls. That is too comfortable, though, and too lazy. Helm’s Deep would have surely fallen if not for each group choosing to show up and do their part in order to change the tide of that battle. Yes, I know that it is a fictional battle, but how close has Ukraine come to falling without aid? How many times has Zelenskyy tried to light beacons? They are enduring a long night that has stretched on for over two years now. Famine is setting in amongst the Palestinian population. Israel just shut down Al Jazeera, one of the largest news networks in the Middle East, within the confines of their country. Israel’s leadership is actively banning, stifling, and putting out any possible beacons. That feels so shady to me, figuratively and literally. It makes me wonder just how much they are truly hiding. How many injustices and war crimes have occurred? So many children could still have all of their limbs if they had been able to receive more timely care. However, many, if not all, of the hospitals in Palestine have been destroyed. The death toll is disproportionately exorbitant3. If aid routes were truly open and accessible without fear of death, then why is famine still spreading? I believe that the leaders of Israel have a lot to answer for. I believe that Putin has a lot to answer for. What I think they both fail to realize is that:
Every individual matters.
Every individual has a role to play.
Every individual makes a difference.
-Jane Goodall
Any human being is a challenge.
Any human being is worthy of my attention, of my love occasionally.
-Elie Wiesel
With those said, I believe we all have a lot to answer for. Our own actions add up over time. Will you sink with your ship, O Captain my Captain, or will you rise up alongside supportive masses? We all have choices. We all can change. Will we turn towards the beacons and do something, or will we continue to cower comfortably and complacently? Choose to change your chats; choose to talk about what truly matters. Please choose to acknowledge the suffering of others. For that matter, please also recognize your own suffering. Sit with your emotions, feelings, and thoughts to figure out how to make yourself whole again as we then work on wholly healing our people and planet.
Thank you, Bernard, for playing your roles so well. I will miss you, Mr. Hill, and I will enjoy reflecting on the art that you have helped leave behind in your stead. May his legacy and memory serve as a hill for us all to stand on together to each do our best. Personally, I feel like the world is aflame these days. Will we still ignore that beacon?
You’re not obligated to win.
You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.
-Marian Wright Edelman
Maybe it is all wise. Maybe it is all dumb. Time will tell.
- Fun Fact: as a proud part of a nerdy family, for one New Year’s Eve celebration, we started watching The Two Towers at the exact time so that, when midnight struck for the New Year, Bernard Hill’s character, King Théoden, said this line on cue :) ↩︎
- An acronym for “The Lord of the Rings” ↩︎
- I find it fascinating (sadly so) that an Archaic definition for this word is “outside the authority of the law.” I think Netanyahoo has grossly overstepped his lane a lot. ↩︎