All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost
J.R.R Tolkien-The Fellowship of the Rings
While this riddle was written by Tolkien about Aragorn in the Fellowship of the Rings,
it does have wisdom for us as we live our lives as well, especially those of us who cultivate our faith along life's journey.
We can let go of chasing after the treasures of this earth and find that true treasure is something intangible and something that cannot be taken from us.
We realize that wandering is a form of exploration and a way to discover not only more of what speaks to us, but also what we are truly made of. Wandering challenges us by taking us out of the known and expanding our ways of seeing things. Wandering also puts us a posture of trust, when we are no longer surrounded by the familiar and the known.
And therefore as we age, as our body grows weaker and more frail, our spirit is made strong by the true treasures we've gathered as we wander. And though the body will be touched by the frost of winter that brings death one day, the roots we've developed are not subject to death, but will bring life again come Spring.
The whole purpose of this blog is to talk about the Metanoia journey of transformation. This journey in one that gathers true treasures along the way. It's a journey that encourages each one in a state of exploration as one seeks more profound knowing, deeper healing and continued growing. At it's best, it is a spiritual transformation, that can only be brought about by God himself, but also encouraged and supported by the community He provides.
The initial quote is from Tolkien from the Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a beautiful picture of a transformational journey, the dangers that arise, the commitment to the cause and the fellowship of a band of brothers who do this journey together. I would highly recommend the movie trilogy if not the books as an inspiration for your own Metanoia journey.
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