Arise, arise!

by Marley

Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!
Fell deeds awake, fire and slaughter!
spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,
a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, ride now! Ride to ruin, and the world’s ending!

-The Two Towers

There are moments when we hear something so moving, so stirring, that we simply cannot sit still and allow the world to remain the same. There are moments when we know, we feel, that we have been called to change, by any means necessary, the status quo. There are moments when we know that we have to fight against oppression, against darkness, against that which would destroy us.

“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”

-William James

The words that you hear, that shift something in your head and heart, are spoken in a language that knows no borders, no time period, and no discrimination. It has been spoken in every dialect, every tongue, in every corner of the earth. It is the language of revolution, of rebellion. It is a call to arms. It is a call to the end of acquiescence and the beginning of something bigger than ourselves.

Tolkien’s words ring as true outside his world as they did within. We are not called to wait, to allow the world to continue to turn and move us as the wind would move leaves on an autumn day. We were put here, on this earth, in this time, as champions of something greater than can be imagined. It is up to you to decide what that is. Is it a champion for Christ’s teachings? Most would say yes, we are here, we are at this school, because we want to do more in His name. We want to uphold the ideals set before us. We want to show others that the world is not such a scary place, that fear does not have to grip our hearts and still our tongues.

Interchanging mind control/ Come let the, revolution take its toll / If you could, flick the switch and open your third eye/ You’d see that We should never be afraid to die/ Rise up and take the power back/ It’s time the fat cats had a heart attack/ You know that their time’s coming to an end/ We have to unify and watch our flag ascend.

-Muse, Uprising (2009)

Why do we sit? Why do we allow others to dictate how this world, our world, is run? We complain about injustice, we begrudge our leaders, we claim that we know the way, we know the truth. And yet we do nothing with it. We allow ourselves to be pushed into conformity, into nodding at whatever is said, even if we wholeheartedly disagree. The revolution we are called to will not take place in your mind. It will take place in the hearts of many, and will only succeed when we have stopped whinging about the state of things and realize that we can change things.

I am not proposing a new campaign slogan. I will not mention “change we can believe in.” I cannot recommend one political party over another, one way of life over another, or a set of beliefs over another. That is not my goal with this writing. Those decisions have always been your decisions. Let no one convince you otherwise.

“I began revolution with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I do it with 10 or 15 and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and plan of action.”

-Fidel Castro

Tolkien’s characters fought for and against something tangible, but they also fought the intangible. Sauron’s potential to rule, while a physical threat, was also the threat of the destruction of all the ideals that the Men, Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits held in the Third Age. With his power would come the end of all that gave hope to those who needed it the most. His destruction, therefore, allowed peace to reign in Middle Earth, while allowing Men to finally take up the helm that the Elves had left, shepherding the world into the Fourth Age. But this did not come from hoping for change. This came with action.

Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of Men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!

-Aragorn, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Revolution does not necessitate violence, nor does it require bloodshed. Revolution requires you to move, to stop submitting and to begin working. It requires faith, knowledge, and perseverance. It requires a belief in something bigger than everyday frivolities. Revolution begins with you. Do not allow the world to become something you detest. Do not hold your weekly church meetings as safe houses against the sinner’s paradise. Do something about it.